at Canterbury IN order to the bettering the State of Religion in the Nation the Arch-bishop's Endeavours both with the King and the Clergy were not wanting from time to time And something soon after fell out which afforded him a fair opportunity which was this The King resolving to vindicate his own Right of Supremacy against the Encroachments of Popes in his Dominions especially now the Parliament had restored it to him being at Winchester sent for his Bishops thither about Michaelmas ordering them to go down to their respective Diocesses and there in their own Persons to preach up the Regal Authority and to explain to the People the Reason of excluding the Pope from all Jurisdiction in these Realms Our Arch-bishop according to this Command speeds down into his Diocess to promote this Service for the King and the Church too He went not into the neerer parts of Kent about Otford and Knol where his most frequent Residence used to be because his Influence had a good effect for the Instruction of the People thereabouts in this as well as in other Points of sound Religion But he repaired into the East parts of his Diocess where he preached up and down upon the two Articles of the Pope's Usurpations and the King's Supremacy But the People of Canterbury being less perswaded of these Points than all his Diocess besides there in his Cathedral Church he preached two Sermons wherein he insisted upon three things I. That the Bishop of Rome was not God's Vicar upon Earth as he was taken Here he declared by what Crafts the Bishop of Rome had obtained his usurped Authority II. That the Holiness that See so much boasted of and by which Name Popes affected to be stiled was but a Holiness in Name and that there was no such Holiness at Rome And here he launched out into the Vices and profligate kind of living there III. He inveighed against the Bishop of Rome's Laws Which were miscalled Divinae Leges and Sacri Canones He said that those of his Laws which were good the King had commanded to be observed And so they were to be kept out of obedience to him And here he descended to speak of the Ceremonies of the Church that they ought not to be rejected nor yet to be observed with an Opinion that of themselves they make Men holy or remit their Sins seeing our Sins are remitted by the Death of our Saviour Christ. But that they were observed for a common Commodity and for good Order and Quietness as the Common Laws of the Kingdom were And for this Cause Ceremonies were instituted in the Church and for a remembrance of many good things as the King's Laws dispose Men unto Justice and unto Peace And therefore he made it a general Rule that Ceremonies were to be observed as the Laws of the Land were These Sermons of the Arch-bishop it seems as they were new Doctrines to them so they were received by them at first with much gladness But the Friars did not at all like these Discourses They thought such Doctrines laid open the Truth too much and might prove prejudicial unto their Gains And therefore by a Combination among themselves they thought it convenient that the Arch-bishop's Sermons should be by some of their Party confuted and in the same place where he preached them So soon after came up the Prior of the black Friars in Canterbury levelling his Discourse against the three things that the Arch-bishop had preached He asserted the Church of Christ never erred that he would not slander the Bishops of Rome and that the Laws of the Church were equal with the Laws of God This angry Prior also told the Arch-bishop to his Face in a good Audience concerning what he had preached of the Bishop of Rome's Vices that he knew no Vices by none of the Bishops of Rome And whereas the Arch-bishop had said in his Sermon to the People that he had prayed many Years that we might be separated from that See and that he might see the Power of Rome destroyed because it wrought so many things contrary to the Honour of God and the Wealth of the Realm and because he saw no hopes of amendment and that he thanked God he had now seen it in this Realm for this the Prior cried out against him that he preached uncharitably The Arch-bishop not suffering his Authority to be thus affronted nor the King's Service to be thus hindred convented the Prior before him before Christmass At his first examination he denied that he preached against the Arch-bishop and confessed that his Grace had not preached any thing amiss But sometime afterward being got free from the mild Arch-bishop and being secretly upheld by some Persons in the Combination he then said he had preached amiss in many things and that he purposely preached against him This created the Arch-bishop abundance of Slander in those parts The Business came to the King's Ears who seemed to require the Arch-bishop to censure him in his own Court But upon occasion of this the Arch-bishop wrote his whole Cause in a Letter to the King dated from his House at Ford 1535. Declaring what he had preached and what the other had preached in contradiction to him And withal entreated his Majesty that he the Arch-bishop might not have the judging of him lest he might seem partial but that he would commit the hearing unto the Lord Privy Seal who was Crumwel or else to assign unto him other Persons whom his Majesty pleased that the Cause might be jointly heard together He appealed to the King and his Council If the Prior did not defend the Bishop of Rome though he had said nothing else than that the Church never erred For then they were no Errors as he inferred that were taught of the Pope's Power and that he was Christ's Vicar in Earth and by God's Law Head of all the World Spiritual and Temporal and that all People must believe that de necessitate Salutis and that whosoever did any thing against the See of Rome is an Heretick But if these be no Errors then your Grace's Laws said he be Erroneous that pronounce the Bishop of Rome to be of no more Power than other Bishops and them to be Traitors that defend the contrary In fine in the stomach of an Arch-bishop and finding it necessary to put a stop to the ill designs of these Friars he concluded That if that Man who had so highly offended the King and openly preached against him being his Ordinary and Metropolitan of the Province and that in such Matters as concerned the Authority Mis-living and Laws of the Bishop of Rome and that also within his own Church if he were not looked upon he left it to the King's Prudence to expend what Example it might prove unto others with like colour to maintain the Bishop of Rome's Authority and of what estimation he the Arch-bishop should be reputed hereafter and what Credence would be
and put forth by Henry Lord Stafford in King Edward's Days The King affecting to be thought Learned affected also to have Books called by his Name not that he was always the Author of them but that they came out by his Authority and had undergone his Corrections and Emendations But before we pass away from hence it may be convenient to give the Reader a little taste of so famous a Treatise as that Bishop's Book was in those Days And I will do it not in my own words but in the words of a very Learned and Eminent Man the Answerer to Dr. Martin's Book against Priests Marriage not far from the beginning of Q Mary supposed to be Ponet Bishop of Winchester then in Exile Applying himself in his Preface unto the Queen's Prelats he told them That in their Book intituled The Institution of a Christian Man presented by their whole Authorities to the King of famous Memory K. Henry VIII In the Preface thereof they affirmed to his Highness with one assent by all their Learnings that the said Treatise was in all Points concordant and agreeable to Holy Scripture yea such Doctrine that they would and desired to have it taught by all the Spiritual Pastors to all the King 's loving Subjects to be Doctrine of Faith And there intreating of the Sacrament of Orders they desired to have it taught that we be in no subjection to the Bishop of Rome and his Statutes but meerly subject to the King's Laws under his only Territory and Jurisdiction And that the Canons and Rules of the Church were therefore allowable in the Realm because the Assent of the King and of the People accepted the same And that Priests and Bishops whatsoever never had any Authority by the Gospel in Matters Civil and Moral but by the Grant and Gift of Princes and that it was alway and ever shall be lawful unto Kings and Princes and to their Successors with the Consent of their Parliaments to revoke and call again into their own Hands or otherwise to restrain all their Power and Jurisdiction given and permitted by their Authority Assent or Sufferance c. Without the which if the Bishop of Rome or any other Bishop whatsoever should take upon them any Authority or Jurisdiction in such Matters as be Civil No doubt said they that Bishop is not worthy to be called a Bishop but rather a Tyrant and an Usurper of other Mens Rights contrary to the Laws of God and is to be reputed a Subverter of the Kingdom of Christ. Yea besides these things and many other as he added they put in our Creed or Belief as an Article of Salvation or Damnation that the Church of England is as well to be named a Catholick and Apostolick Church as Rome Church or any other Church where the Apostles were resident And that they willed us to believe in our Faith that there is no difference in Superiority Preeminence or Authority one over the other but be all of equal Power and Dignity and that all Churches be free from the Subjection and Jurisdiction of the Church of Rome And that no Church is to be called Schismatical as varying from the Unity of the Church of Christ if it persist in the Unity of Christ's Faith Hope and Charity and Unity of Christ's Doctrine and Sacraments agreeable to the same Doctrine And that it appertained to Christen Kings and Princes in the discharge of their Duty to God to reform and reduce again the Laws to their old Limits and pristine State of their Power and Jurisdiction which was given them by Christ and used in the Primitive Church For it is say they out of all doubt that Christ's Faith was then most firm and pure and the Scriptures of God were then best understood and Vertue did then most abound and excel And therefore the Customs and Ordinances then used and made must needs be more conform and agreeable unto the true Doctrine of Christ and more conducing to the edifying and benefit of the Church of Christ than any Custom or Laws used or made since that Time This he collected out of their Exposition of the Sacrament of Orders The said Learned Author observed that this Doctrine was set forth by the whole Authority of the Bishops in those Days presented by the Subscription of all their Names And since the time of their presenting thereof by the space almost of twenty Years that is to the middle of Queen Mary never revoked but continually from time to time taught by this Book and by such other Declarations And that one more Particular relating to this Book may be known namely who the Bishops and other Divines were that composed it and that were commissioned so to do I shall record their Names as they were found writ by the Hand of Dr. Sam. Ward in his own Book now in the possession of N. B. a Reverend Friend of mine who hath well deserved of this History Thomas Cant. Io. Lond. Steph. Winton Io. Exon. Io. Lincoln Io. Bathon Roland Coven Litch Tho. Elien Nic. Sarum Io. Bang Edward Heref. Hugo Wigorn. Io. Roffen Ric. Cicestr Guilielm Norv Guilielm Menevens Rob. Assav Rob. Landav Edoard Ebor. Cuthb Dunelm Rob. Carliolen Richard Wolman Archidiac Sudbur Guil. Knight Archid. Richmon Io. Bell Archid. Gloc. Edmund Bonner Archid. Leicestr Iohn Skip Archid. Dorset Nic. Hethe Archid. Stafford Cuthb Marshal Archid. Nottingham Rich. Curren Archid. Oxon. Gulielm Cliff Galfridus Downes Robertus Oking Radul Bradford Richardus Smith Simon Matthew Ioannes Pryn Guliel Buckmaster Guliel May Nic. Wotton Ric. Coxe Ioannes Edmunds Thomas Robertson Ioannes Baker Thomas Barret Ioannes Hase Ioannes Tyson Sacrae Theologiae Juris Ecclesiastici Civilis Professores In the Year 1543. The same Book was printed again amended much both in Sense and Language yet not having any step in the Progress of the Reformation more than the former each Edition express positively the Corporal Presence in the Sacrament But in this is much added about Free-Will which it asserts and Good Works In 1544 the same was printed again at London in Latin intituled Pia Catholica Christiani Hominis Institutio CHAP. XIV The Arch-bishop visits his Diocess AS soon as this Business was over with the Arch-bishop and Bishops at Lambeth no Parliament sitting this Year and a Plague being in London and Westminster he went down as was said before into his Diocess But before he went he expressed a great desire to wait upon the King being then I suppose at Hampton-Court or Windsor but he feared he should not be permitted coming out of the smoaky Air as he wrote to the Lord Crumwel in that time of Infection Yet he desired to know the King's Pleasure by him He had a mind indeed to leave some good Impressions upon the King's Mind in the behalf of the Book that he and the rest had taken such Pains about and but newly made an end of But whether he saw the King now or no
because by this means all hope of ripe and compleated Learning was immaturely cut off in the very Bud and also all the Expectations of the poorer sort whose whole Time was spent in good Studies was eluded by these Drones occupying those Places and Preferments which more properly belonged unto them For Parts Learning Poverty and Election were of no strength at Home where Favour and Countenance and the Letters of Noblemen and such-like extraordinary and illegal Courses from Abroad bore all the Sway. CHAP. VII Dr. Smith and others recant AND now before I conclude this Year let me pass from more publick Matters and present the Reader with two or three Passages wherein the Arch-bishop had to do with private Men. May the 15 th Richard Smith D. D. Master of Whittington College and Reader of Divinity in Oxford a hot turbulent Man made his Recantation at Pauls Cross convinced and moved thereunto by the Pains of the Arch-bishop What his Errors were that he had publickly vented in the University and in his Writings may be known by the words of his Recantation which were these I do confess and acknowledg that the Authority as well of the Bishop of Rome whose Authority is justly and lawfully abolished in this Realm as of other Bishops and others called the Ministers of the Church consisteth in the Dispensation and Ministration of God's Word and not in making Laws Ordinances and Decrees over the People besides God's Word without the Consent and Authority of the Prince and People I say and affirm that within this Realm of England and other the King's Dominions there is no Law Decree Ordinance or Constitution Ecclesiastical in force and available by any Man's Authority but only by the King's Majesty's Authority or of his Parliament This Man had wrote two Books in favour of Popish Doctrine and those he also now disclaimed viz. A Book of Traditions and another of the Sacrifice of the Mass. In the former of which he maintained That Christ and his Apostles taught and left to the Church many things without writing which he asserted were stedfastly to be believed and obediently fulfilled under pain of Damnation In the other Book he maintained That Christ was not a Priest after the Order of Melchizedeck when he offered himself upon the Cross for our Sins but after the Order of Aaron and that when Christ did offer his Body to his Father after the Order of Melchizedek to appease his Wrath it was to be understood not of the Sacrifice of the Cross but of the Sacrifice that he made at his Maundy in form of Bread and Wine In which Book were other Errors He that is minded to see his Recantation of these his Books may have it in the Appendix as I transcribed it out of an old Book made by Becon intituled Reports of certain Men. This Recantation he not long after made at Oxon viz. in August following Where he also protested openly That he would abide in the sincere and pure Doctrine of Christ's Gospel all humane trifling Traditions set apart even unto Death though it should cost him his Life And this Recantation he also printed for further Satisfaction to the World Bishop Gardiner who was now at Winchester was very uneasy at the News of this Recantation which some took care to bring down to him He signified to the Protector That Smith was a Man with whom he had no Familiarity nor cared for his Acquaintance That he had not seen him in three Years nor talked with him in Seven He was greatly displeased with the first words of his Recantation which yet were but the words of Scripture Omnis Homo mendax Making all the Doctors in the Church as he inferred to be Liars with himself How it argued his Pride for he that sought for such Company in Lying had small Humility and that he would hide himself by that Number that his depraving of Man's Nature in that sort was not the setting out of the Authority of Scripture He said he neither liked his Tractation nor yet his Retractation That he was mad to say in his Book of Vnwritten Verities that Bishops in this Realm could make Laws wherein he said he lied loudly About this time Chadsey Standish Yong Oglethorp and divers others recanted whose Recantations Fox had by him to shew as well as Smith whom we have now before us After this Recantation he carried not himself according to it but favoured the Old Errors And in the Year 1549 offered some Affront unto Arch-bishop Cranmer opposing him in the Doctrine of the Lawfulness of Priests Marriage and endeavoured to make a Rout in Oxford to the endangering P. Martyr's Life and printed a Book the same Year against him De Votis Monasticis Whereupon incurring as he apprehended some Danger he fled into Scotland But weary of being there and willing to have his Peace made in England he wrote two Letters to the Arch-bishop from thence professing that he would out of hand by open Writing in the Latin Tongue revoke all that erroneous Doctrine which he had before taught and published and set forth the pure Doctrine of Christ. And for a Proof hereof he would straight after his return into England set forth a Book in Latin in defence of the most lawful Marriage of Priests In the Year 1550 he wrote certain Treatises against P. Martyr printed at Lovain And the same Year came out his Book against the Arch-bishop's Treatise of the Sacrament This Man was of a most inconstant as well as turbulent Spirit For in the Reign of Queen Mary he turned to the Religion then professed and was great with Bishop Boner in those Times but greatly despised for his Fickleness He once attempted to discourse with Hawks in Boner's House in London Hawks threw in his Dish his Recantation To which when he said it was no Recantation but a Declaration the other gave him this Rub To be short I will know whether you will Recant any more ere ever I talk with you or believe you and so departed from him We shall hear of him again in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth when he again complied and submitted himself to Arch-bishop Parker And last of all returned to his old Opinions and fled to Lovain Pass we from this Man to another of the same Strain with whom the Arch-bishop had to do As the Popish Clergy in the former King's Reign had made all the rudest and eagerest Opposition they dared against the Steps that were then made towards a Reformation so they ceased not to do in this King 's nay and more hoping to shelter themselves under a milder Government One Instance of this appeared in what was done by the Quondam Abbot of Tower-hill London Who for some Recompence of the loss of his Abby was made Vicar of Stepney-Church succeeding I suppose Mr. Hierom burnt to death in the Year 1540 with Dr. Barnes and Garret He being a bold Man and
Penance and forsaking their Wives Allowing them to minister at the Altar and to serve Cures provided it were out of the Diocesses where they were married The said Bishops by this Commission were also empowered to grant to fit Rectors and Curates a Power to reconcile and absolve their respective Parishes This Commission I have placed in the Appendix as it was transcribed out of the Register of the Church of Canterbury The Lord Legate also for the better discharging of this his mighty Office gave out his Instructions how the Bishops and Officials of the Vacant Sees should perform this Work of the Reconciliation deputed to them by the said Legate together with the Form of Absolution to be pronounced Which Instructions and Form as they were extracted from the said Register may be found in the Appendix Each Bishop was to call before him the Clergy of his respective City and to instruct them in divers things As concerning the Pope's fatherly Love and Charity towards the English Nation in sending Cardinal Pole his Legate hither as soon as he knew the Lady Mary was declared Queen to bring this Kingdom so long separated from the Catholick Church into Union with it and to comfort and restore them to the Grace of God Concerning the joyful coming of the said Legate concerning what was done the last Parliament when the Lords and Commons were Reconciled and concerning the repealing of all the Laws made against the Authority of the Roman See by the two last Kings and restoring Obedience to the Pope and Church of Rome Concerning the Authority restored likewise to the Bishops especially that they might proceed against Hereticks and Schismaticks Then the Bishops were to acquaint their Clergy with the Faculties yielded to them by the Legate which were to be read openly Then all that were lapsed into Error and Schism were to be invited humbly to crave Absolution and Reconciliation and Dispensations as well for their Orders as for their Benefices Next a Day was fixed when the Clergy were to appear and petition for the said Absolutions and Dispensations On which day after they had confessed their Errors and sacramentally promised that they would make Confession of the same to the Bishop himself or some other Catholick Priests and to perform the Penance that should be enjoined them then the Bishop was to reconcile them and to dispense with their Irregularities Always observing a distinction between those that only fell into Schism and Error and those who were the Teachers of them and Leaders of others into Sin The same time was to be appointed another day for a Solemn Festival wherein the Bishops and Curates in their Churches should signify to the People all that the Bishops before had spoken to their Clergy and then should invite them all to confess their Errors and to return into the Bosom of the Church promising them That all their past Crimes should be forgiven if so be they repented of them and renounced them And a certain Term was to be fixed namely the whole Octaves of Easter within which Term all should come and be reconciled But the Time to be reconciled in being lapsed all that remained unreconciled as also all that returned to their Vomit after they had been reconciled were to be most severely proceeded against The said Bishops and Officials where any Sees were Vacant were to name and depute the Rectors of the Parish-Churches and other fit Persons who should absolve the Laity of their Parishes from Heresy and Schism and Censures according to a Form to be given them by the Bishops The Bishops and Officials and Curates were to have each a Book in which were to be writ the Names and Parishes of all that were reconciled That it might afterwards be known who were reconciled and who were not After the Octave of Easter was past the Bishops were to visit first their Cities and then their Diocesses and to summon before them all such as had not been reconciled and to know of them the Cause why they would not depart from their Errors and remaining obstinate in them they were to proceed against them In this Visitation all the Clergy were to be required to shew the Titles of their Orders and Benefices and notice was to be taken if any Defect were therein And now the Bishops were to take care to root out any Errors in their Diocesses and to depute fit Persons to make Sermons and hear Confessions They were also to take care to have the Sacred Canons observed and to have inserted into the Books of Service the Name of S. Thomas the Martyr and of the Pope formerly blotted out and to pray for the Pope according as it was used before the Schism They were advised to insist much upon the great Miseries we were in before and the great Grace that God now had shewed to this People Exhorting them to acknowledg these Mercies and devoutly to pray for the King and Queen that had deserved so exceedingly well of this Kingdom and especially to pray for a happy Off-spring from the Queen In these Instructions there are several Strictures that make it appear Pole was not so gentle towards the Hereticks as the Professors of the Gospel were then stiled as is reported but rather the contrary and that he went hand in hand with the bloody Bishops of these Days For it is plain here that he put the Bishops upon proceeding with them according to the Sanguinary Laws lately revived and put in full Force and Virtue What an Invention was that of his a kind of Inquisition by him set up whereby not a Man might escape that stood not well affected to Popery I mean his ordering Books to be made and kept wherein the Names of all such were to be written that in every Place and Parish in England were reconciled and so whosoever were not found in those Books might be known to be no Friends to the Pope and so to be proceeded against And indeed after Pole's crafty and zealous Management of this Reconciliation all that good Opinion that Men had before conceived of him vanished and they found themselves much mistaken in him especially seeing so many Learned and Pious Gospel-Bishops and Ministers imprisoned and martyred under him and by his Commission Insomuch that now People spake of him as bad as of the Pope himself or the worst of his Cardinals The Gospellers before this did use to talk much among themselves that he did but dissemble at Rome in his present outward Compliances with them and their Superstitions and that he would upon a good Opportunity shew himself an open Professor of the Truth And indeed he often had Conferences before him of Christ and of the Gospel of a living Faith and Justification by Faith alone and he often would wish the true Doctrine might prevail But now the Mask was taken off and he shewed himself what he was A notable Letter to this Purpose was written concerning the Cardinal about
value Item One and twenty pair of Hangings for the Altars of the Church Vestments Albes c. Item Twelve Albes of silk Item Of linnin Albes belonging to the Sextre and other Altars 326. Item Vestments belonging to the Altars and Chauntries are of divers Values and works to the number of twenty six Item Corporows cases and Corporaws thirty six Item Altar cloths of Diaper and linnin One and twenty Item Mas books thirteen belonging to the Sextre and Altars The Inventary of our Ladies Chappel Imprimis Five little shrines of copper and guilt Item Three chalices of silver and gilt Item Two Paxes the one of silver and gilt and the other of silver Item Two pair of Beads and silver and gilt being but of ten stones a piece Item Three chappels of divers suites Item Two Copys of silk Item Thirteen Albes and three of them white silk Item Three Collars for the three Altars of silk garnished with plate of silver and gilt and with stones Item Four Altar cloths of linnin Item Two Altars of silk for the Altar The Inventory of the Priors house Imprimis Six salts with three covers of silver and gilt Item Six spoons of silver and gilt Item Five and twenty other spoons of silver Item Three standing Cups one plain and other two swaged with their Covers of silver and gilt Item Seven bollis of silver and gilt with one Cover Item Six silver cupps with one Cover Item Four nuts with three covers Item Two Masers with one cover Item Two silver Basins with their Ewers Item Two Gallon pots of silver and gilt to serve Peter and Paul Item Two smal silver pots Item Two chalices of silver and gilt The Inventary of the Subpriors house Item Two salts of silver and gilt with a Cover Item One little salt of silver with a Cover Item Three silver peeces Item Eighteen silver spoons Item Three old Masers perused The Inventary of the Hordars house Item Two Salts of silver and gilt with a Cover Item One standing Nut with a Cover Item Three silver peeces Item Eighteen silver spoons Item Three old Masers perused The Inventary of the Fratrie Imprimis One standing Cup of mother pearle the foot and Cover being of silver and gilt Item Two great bollys of silver Item One standing Cup of silver and gilt with his Cover Item One standing Massar with a Cover of Wood. Item Three great bollis of Wood with bonds of silver and gilt Item Seven and thirty silver spoons of divers fashions Item Four old Massars perused NUM XVII A Reply to the Archbishop against his Court of Audience TO the first His Protestation sheweth no more but that he is not to be suspected to keep that Court of his Audience by the authority of any Legacy from Rome as by the name of Legate of Rome But forasmuch as no ABp within Christendom hath nor never had any authority to keep any such Court by the reason of the ABric but only Legates of the See of Rome Which Legates what vexations and oppressions they have done by the pretence thereof not only to Ordinaries but also to the Layfee by calling of poor men from the furthest parts of the realm to London for an halfpeny candle or for a little opprobrious word as was declared and proved plainly in this Parliament Which was a great cause of making of a Statute to remedy that before the Statute of the abolishment of the Bishops of Romes authority within this realm Insomuch that this execution of Legacies in other jurisdictions and realms hath been one of the greatest and intolerablest usurpations of the Bp. of Rome these many years among the Commonalty and therfore a thing most necessary of reformation in consideration of the premises no ABp can exercise this authority except he implyeth to al the world tho he speak it not nor write it not that he is a Legate of the See of Rome And in case it shal please the Kings Grace to give like authority notwithstanding so many incommodities to his Graces Subjects by the use therof and not one commodity at al to be abyden by it should seem better to give it to some other by special Commission at his Grace's pleasure Wherby it shal be known certainly to come from his Grace rather than to join it to the ABps See Wherby the old poyson might stil lurk and break out one day again if it should chance some to be ABp of Cant. that would change their copy as hath been in times past And moreover if his Grace should make his Legate it should peradventure derogate the power of his Graces General Vicar And if both should occupy then shall the people so much the rather take occasion to think and say that his Graces Vicar exerciseth the power of a Legate by his Graces authority and the ABp of Canterbury by authority of the Bp. of Rome And where the ABp saith that he seeth no cause why he should not keep that Court at the lest by authority of the Act of Parlament as al others enjoy by that Act al things that they had before from the See of Rome it seems that he never read the said Act nor yet can discern betwixt a thing absolute that may endure without a Dependence and an Advouson in gross and a thing that standeth in a continual Dependence as Service to the Seignory For Exemptions and Dispensations and such others be Absolutes depending nothing of the Grantor after his Grant But Legacies be but respectives And as no longer Lord no longer Service so no longer Bp. of Rome Lord here no longer his Vicar which was but his Servant as appeareth by the text of his Legacy whereof these be the words in the Chapter Quum non ignoretis De officio Legati qui in Provincia sua vices nostras gerere comprobatur And the Act of Parlament which he allegeth is so plain to every Reader that it cannot be drawn with twenty team of Oxen to stretch to the continuance of this Court of his Audience It is in the xxj th Chapter of the Session Anno xxv and in the xxvj th leafe in the latter end The words therof there be these Provided alwayes that this Act or any thing therin contained shal not hereafter be taken nor expounded to the derogation or taking away of any Grants or Confirmations of any Liberties Privileges or Jurisdictions of any Monasteries Abbies Priories or other Houses or Places exempt which before the making of this Act have been obtained at the See of Rome or by the authority thereof Loo this Act speaketh only of Exemptions which is a thing absolute and that only of Houses exempt and of their Jurisdictions Which might be suffered upon their few Parochians and neibours as Prebends have in their Cathedral churches But this Act speaketh not of no jurisdiction universal of Archbishops Bishops or other person Legacy is of that other sort and universal jurisdiction depending on him that usurped an universal
who had no Authority within this Realm Whereat the King made a Pause and then asked him how he was able to prove it At which time he alledged several Texts out of Scripture and the Fathers proving the Supream Authority of Kings in their own Realms and Dominions and withal shewing the intolerable Usurpations of the Bishops of Rome Of this the King talked several times with him and perceiving that he could not be brought to acknowledg the Pope's Authority the King called one Dr. Oliver an eminent Lawyer and other Civilians and devised â—ith them how he might bestow the Arch-Bishoprick upon him salving his Conscience They said he might do it by way of Protestation and so one to be sent to Rome to take the Oath and do every thing in his Name Cranmer said to this It should be super animam suam and seemed to be satisfied in what the Lawyers told him And accordingly when he was consecrated made his Protestation That he did not admit the Pope's Authority any further than it agreed with the express Word of God And that it might be lawful for him at all times to speak against him and to impugn his Errors when there should be occasion And so he did Whether Warham the Arch-deacon had conceived any Prejudice against our new Arch-Bishop by some warning given him by the former Arch-Bishop as was hinted above or whether he was willing to give place upon Cranmer's Entreaty that he might provide for his Brother so it was that Edmund Cranmer Brother to the Arch-Bishop succeeded Warham in the Arch-deaconry of Canterbury and the Provostship of Wingham Who parted with both these Dignities by Cession And by the Privity and Consent of the Arch-Bishop he had a Stipend or Pension of sixty pounds per Annum allowed him during his Life out of the Arch-deaconary and twenty pounds per Annum out of Wingham by his Successor aforesaid Who continued Arch-deacon until Queen Mary's Days and was then deprived and his Prebend and his Parsonage of Ickham all taken from him in the Year 1554 for being a married Clerk The first was given to Nicholas Harpsfield the second to Robert Collins Bachelour of Law and Commissary of Canterbury and the third to Robert Marsh. The King had before linked him into his great Business about Queen Katharine and the Lady Anne So now when he had nominated him for Arch-Bishop he made him a Party and an Actor in every step almost which he took in that Affair For to fetch the Matter a little backward Not long before the Archiepiscal See was devolved upon Cranmer the King had created the Lady Anne Marchioness of Pembroke and taken her along with him in great State into France when by their mutual Consent there was an Interview appointed between the two Kings At Calais King Henry permitted Francis the French King to take a view of this Lady who then made both Kings a curious and rich Mask where both honoured her by dancing This was in the month of October In the Month before I find a parcel of very rich Jewels were sent from Greenwich to Hampton Court by Mr. Norrys probably he who was Groom of the Stole and executed upon Queen Ann's Business afterwards Which Jewels as some of them might be for the King 's own wearing now he was going into France so in all probability others were either lent or given to the Marchioness to adorn and make her fine when she should appear and give her entertainment to the French King For the sake of such as be curious I have set down in the Appendix a Particular of these most splendid and Royal Jewels from an Original signed with the King 's own Hand in token of his Receit of them Immediately after the King's and â—â—e Marchionesses return from France he married her At which Wedding though very private the Arch-Bishop was one that assisted according to the Lord Herbert but according to the Author of the Britannic Antiquities did the Sacred Office When she was crowned Queen which was Whitsontide following the Arch-Bishop performed the Ceremonies When after that the King had a Daughter by her he would have the Arch-Bishop assist at the Christening and be her Godfather And before this when Queen Katharine was to be divorced from the King and the Pope's Dispensation of that Marriage declared Null our Arch-Bishop pronounced the Sentence and made the Declaration solemnly and publickly at Dunstable Priory Thus the King dipped and engaged Cranmer with himself in all his Proceeding in this Cause Now as all these doings had danger in them so especially this last highly provoked the Pope for doing this without his Leave and Authority as being a presumptuous Encroachment upon his Prerogative Insomuch that a publick Act was made at Rome that unless the King undid all that he had done and restored all things in integrum leaving them to his Decision he would excommunicate him And this Sentence was affixed and set up publickly at Dunkirk Which put the King upon an Appeal from the Pope to the next General Council lawfully called The Arch-Bishop also foreseeing the Pope's Threatning hovering likewise over his Head by the King's Advice made his Appeal by the English Ambassador there I have seen the King's Original Letter to Dr. Bonner ordering him to signify to the Pope in Order and Form of Law his Appeal sending him also the Instrument of his Appeal with the Proxy devised for that purpose This bare date August 18 th from his Castle at Windsor I have reposited it in the Appendix Which Order of the King Bonner did accordingly discharge at an Audience he got of the Pope at Marceilles November 7. And that Letter which the Lord Herbert saith he saw of Bonner to the King wherein he signified as much must be his Answer to this of the King to him Dr. Cranmer having now yielded to the King to accept the Arch-Bishoprick it was in the beginning of the next Year viz. 1533. March 30. and in the 24 th of King Henry that he received his Consecration But that ushered in with abundance of Bulls some dated in February and some in March from Pope Clement to the number of Eleven as may be seen at length in the beginning of this Arch-Bishop's Register The first was to King Henry upon his Nomination of Cranmer to him to be Arch-Bishop The Pope alloweth and promoteth him accordingly The second was a Bull to Cranmer himself signifying the same The third Bull absolved him from any Sentences of Excommunication Suspension Interdiction c. It was written from the Pope to him under the Title of Arch-deacon of Taunton in the Church of Wells and Master in Theology and ran thus Nos ne forsan aliquibus sententiis censuris poenis Ecclesiasticis ligatus sis c. Volentes te a quibusvis excommunicationis suspensionis interdicti aliisque Ecclesiasticis sententiis censuris poenis a jure
was at a stand He was translated from this imaginary Bishoprick to be Bishop of Oxford in the Year 1541. One Iohn Hatton had the Title of Episcopus Negropont He was Suffragan under the Arch-bishop of York Iohn Thornden who was several times Commissiary of Oxon while Arch-bishop Warham was Chancellor of that University was stiled Episcopus Syrinensis And hereafter in the progress of this Book we shall meet with a Bishop of Hippolitanum who assisted Arch-bishop Cranmer at his Ordinations These were but Titulary Bishops and the use of them was to supply the Diocesans absence to consecrate Churches and Church-yards and to reconcile them to assist at Ordinations and confer Orders to confirm Children and the like Sometimes these Suffragans had no Titles at all to any place but were Bishops at large Such an one named Richard Martin is met with in an old Register at Canterbury who was Guardian of the Gray-Fryars there By his last Will made 1498 he gave a Library to the Church and Covent He was Parson of Ickham and Vicar of Lyd in Kent and writ himself in the said Will Bishop of the Vniversal Church By which the Antiquarian supposed nothing else was meant but that he was a Bishop in Name endued with Orders but not with Jurisdiction Episcopal having no particular Charge to intend but generally officiating as Bishop in any part of the Christian Church This I have writ that the Reader may not be put to a stand when he shall in these Commentaries meet with some of these Titular Bishops But proceed we now to the Bishops that were this Year Consecrated Diocesan Bishops April the 11 th Nicholas Shaxton was consecrated Bishop of Sarum in the King's Chappel of S. Stephen by our Arch-bishop Iohn Bishop of Lincoln and Christopher Sidoniens assisting Septemb. the 15 th was the Act of Confirmation and Election of Edward Fox Elect of Hereford and of William Barlow Prior of the Priory of Canons Regular of Bisham of the Order of S. Augustin Sarum for the Bishoprick of S. Asaph The Consecration of these two last are not inserted in the Register March the 18 th the Act of Confirmation and Election of George Brown D. D. Provincial of the Order of Friars Augustin in the City of London for the Arch-bishoprick of Dublin Consecrated March the 19 th by the Arch-bishop at Lambeth Nicholas Bishop of Sarum and Iohn Bishop of Rochester assisting Of this last-mentioned Bishop I shall take some further notice having been the first Protestant Bishop in Ireland as Cranmer was in England a great furtherer of the Reformation in that Land being a stirring Man and of good Parts and Confidence He was first taken notice of by Crumwel Lord Privy Seal and by his sole means preferred to this Dignity in the Church of Ireland upon the observation that was taken of him when he was Provincial of the Augustin Order in England advising all People to make their Application only to Christ and not to Saints Whereby he was recommended unto K. Henry who much favoured him When the King's Supremacy was to be brought in and recognized in Ireland which was the same Year wherein he was made Arch-bishop he was appointed one of the King's Commissioners for the procuring the Nobility Gentry and Clergy to reject the Pope and to own the King for Supream Head of the Church In which Commission he acted with that diligence that it was to the hazard of his Life such opposition was made to it in that Realm At which time in an Assembly of the Clergy George Dowdal Arch-bishop of Ardmagh made a Speech to them and laid a Curse upon those whosoever they were that should own the King's Supremacy Within five Years after this this Arch-bishop Brown caused all Superstitious Relicks and Images to be removed out of the two Cathedrals in Dublin and out of the rest of the Churches in his Diocess and ordered the Ten Commandments the Lord's Prayer and the Creed to be set up in Frames above the Altar in Christ's-Church Dublin In K. Edward VI. his Reign he received the English Common-Prayer-Book into that Realm upon the King's Proclamation for that purpose after much opposition by Dowdal And it was read in Christ's-Church Dublin on Easter Day 1551. He preached also a Sermon in Christ's-Church for having the Scripture in the Mother-Tongue and against Image-worship And for this his forwardness and conformity in Religion and the perverseness of the other Arch-bishop of Ardmagh who had violently resisted all good Proceedings the Title of Primacy was taken from him and conferred upon the Arch-bishop of Dublin And Dowdal was banished or as others say voluntarily left his Bishoprick And then Goodacre sent from England with Bale for the See of Ossory succeeded In Q. Mary's days Dowdal was restored and being a great Man in this Reign expulsed Archbishop Brown from his See for being a married Man Who two or three Years after was succeeded by Hugh Corwin a Complier in all Reigns and Brown soon after died Suffragan Bishops The first of these standing in the Register of the Arch-bishop was the Suffragan of the See of Ipswich The Bishop of Norwich according to the direction of the late Act wherein the Bishop was to nominate two for Suffragan to the King and the King was to name one of them to the Arch-bishop to receive Consecration humbly signified to the King that he was destitute of the Aid of a Suffragan and so prayed him to appoint either George Abbot of the Monastery of S. Mary's of Leyston or Thomas Mannyng Prior of the Monastery of S. Mary's of Butley to be his Suffragan without mentioning for what place And on the 7 th of March in the 27 th of his Reign he sent to the Arch-bishop to make the latter Suffragan of Gipwich Who was accordingly consecrated by the Arch-bishop and invested in insigniis Episcopalibus Nicholas Bishop of Sarum and Iohn Bishop of Rochester assisting The Date not specified but probably on the same Day with the Consecration following there being the same Assistants The said Bishop of Norwich sent to the King recommending to him to be Suffragan Thomas de Castleacre of the Cluniac Order and Iohn Salisbury Prior of S. Faiths of Horsham of the Order of S. Benet both Priors of Monasteries in Norwich Diocess The King sent to the Arch-bishop to consecrate Iohn the Prior of S. Faiths for Suffragan of Thetford Accordingly he consecrated him March the 19 th Nicholas Bishop of Sarum and Iohn Bishop of Rochester assisting CHAP. X. The Audience Court THE good Arch-bishop almost every Year met with new Opposition from the Popish Clergy The late Act for abolishing the Pope's Authority and some Acts before that for restraining of Applications to Rome served them now as a Colour to strike at one of the Arch-bishop's Courts viz. that of the Audience a Court which the Arch-bishops used to hold in
Apostles S. Peter S. Paul S. Andrew c. The Prayer for the King nameth K. Henry VIII and his gracious Son Prince Edward In the Kalendar Thomas a Becket's Days are still retained in red Letters But I suppose that was done of course by the Printer using the old Kalendar In the same Book is a large and pious Paraphrase on Psalm LI. A Dialogue between the Father and the Son Meditations on Christ's Passion and many other things By somewhat that happened this Year the Arch-bishop proved very instrumental in promoting the Reformation of corrupt Religion in the Neighbouring Nation of Scotland which this Year had received a great Overthrow by the English Army and great Numbers of Scotish Noblemen and Gentlemen were taken Prisoners and brought up to London and after disposed of in the Houses of the English Nobility and Gentry under an easy Restraint The Earl of Cassillis was sent to Lambeth where the good Arch-bishop shewed him all Respects in providing him with Necessaries and Conveniences but especially in taking care of his Soul He detected to him the great Errors of Popery and the Reasons of those Regulations that had been lately made in Religion in England And so successful was the Arch-bishop herein that the Earl went home much enlightned in true Religion which that Nation then had a great aversion to for they highly misliked the Courses King Henry took Which Prejudices the King understanding endeavoured to take off by sending Barlow Bishop of S. Davids to Scotland with the Book of The Institution of a Christian Man Which nevertheless made no great Impression upon that People But this that happened to the Scotish Nobility that were now taken Prisoners and especially this Guest of the Arch-bishop becoming better enclined to Religion by the Knowledg they received while they remained here had a happier Effect and brought on the Reformation that after happened in that Kingdom The Parliament being summoned in Ianuary in order to the King 's making War with France whither he intended to go in Person the Arch-bishop resolved to try this Occasion to do some good Service again for Religion which had of late received a great stop His Endeavour now was to moderate the severe Acts about Religion and to get some Liberty for the Peoples reading of the Scripture Cranmer first made the Motion and four Bishops viz. Worcester Hereford Chichester and Rochester seconded him But Winchester opposed the Arch-bishop's Motion with all earnestness And the Faction combined with so much Violence that these Bishops and all other fell off from the Arch-bishop and two of them endeavoured to perswade the Arch-bishop to desist at present and to stay for a better Opportunity But he refused and followed his Stroke with as much vigour as he could and in fine by his perswasion with the King and the Lords a Bill past And the King was the rather inclined thereunto because he being now to go abroad upon a weighty Expedition thought convenient to leave his Subjects at home as easy as might be So with much struggling an Act was past intituled An Act for the Advancement of True Religion and the Abolishment of the contrary In this Act as Tindal's Translation of the Scriptures was forbidden to be kept or used so other Bibles were allowed to some Persons excepting the Annotations and Preambles which were to be cut or dashed out And the King 's former Proclamations and Injunctions with the Primers and other Books printed in English for the Instruction of the People before the Year 1540 were still to be in force which it seems before were not And that every Nobleman and Gentleman might have the Bible read in their Houses and that Noble Ladies and Gentlewomen and Merchants might read it themselves But no Men or Women under those Degrees That every Person might read and teach in their Houses the Book set out in the Year 1540 which was The necessary Erudition of a Christian Man with the Psalter Primer Pater noster Ave and Creed in English But when Winchester and his Party saw that they could not hinder the Bill from passing they clogged it with Provisoes that it came short of what the Arch-bishop intended it as that the People of all sorts and conditions universally might not read the Scriptures but only some few of the higher Rank And that no Book should be printed about Religion without the King's Allowance And that the Act of the Six Articles should be in the same Force it was before A Bishop Consecrated Iune the 25 th being Sunday Paul Bush Provincial of the Bonhommes was consecrated the first Bishop of Bristol by Nicolas Bishop of Rochester assisted by Thomas Bishop of Westminster and Iohn Suffragan of Bedford This Consecration was celebrated in the parish-Parish-Church of Hampton in the Diocess of Westminster CHAP. XXV Presentments at a Visitation BY the Act above-mentioned the generality of the People were restrained from reading the Holy Scriptures But in lieu of it was set forth by the King and his Clergy in the Year 1543 a Doctrine for all his Subjects to use and follow which was the Book abovesaid and all Books that were contrary to it were by Authority of Parliament condemned It was printed in London by Thomas Barthelet This Book the Arch-bishop enjoined to be made publick in his Diocess as I suppose it was in all other Diocesses throughout the Kingdom and allowed no preaching or arguing against it And when one Mr. Ioseph once a Friar in Canterbury now a learned and earnest Preacher and who was afterward preferred to Bow-Church in London had attempted to preach against some things in the Book the Arch-bishop checked and forbad him For indeed there were some Points therein which the Arch-bishop himself did not approve of foisted into it by Winchester's Means and Interest at that time with the King Which Bishop politickly as well as flatteringly called it The King's Book a Title which the Arch-Bishop did not much like for he knew well enough Winchester's Hand was in it And so he told him plainly in K. Edward's Time when he might speak his Mind telling him in relation thereunto That he had seduced the King But because of the Authority of the Parliament ratifying the Book and the many good and useful Things that were in it the Arch-bishop introduced and countenanced it in his Diocess and would not allow open preaching against it The Arch-bishop about the Month of September held a Visitation in Canterbury chiefly because of the Jangling of the Preachers and the divers Doctrines vented among them according as their Fancies Interests or Judgments led them The Visitation proceeded upon the King's Injunctions and other late Ordinances And here I shall set down before the Reader some of the Presentments as I take them from an Original in a Volume that belonged to this Archbishop Wherein notice may be taken what ignorance was then in some of the Priests what
same in the English Tongue to the intent that there may be an Uniformity in every Place Whereby it may please God at all times to prosper his Majesty in all his Affairs And the rather to have regard at this time unto the Uprightness of his Grace's Quarrel and to send his Highness victorious Success of the same And thus we bid your Lordship most heartily well to fare From Petworth the 10 th Day of August Your Lordship's assured loving Friends W. Essex St. Wynton Ant. Brown Will. Paget The Copy of this Letter the Arch-bishop dispatched to the Bishop of London and in a Letter of his own he first stirred him up to take care of making due Provisions for the religious Performance of these Prayers in his Diocess upon consideration of the King 's great Wars by Land and Sea and his Wars in France in Scotland and in the Parts about Bulloign Then he enjoined him and all the Bishops in his Province every Fourth and Sixth Day to retire to Prayer and Supplication to God and that the People should as he wrote Concinna modulatione una voce cunctipotentem Deum Sabaoth omnis Victoriae largitorem unicum sanctè piè non labiis sed corde puro adorent In becoming Harmony and with one Voice holily and piously not with the Lips but with a pure Heart adore the Almighty God of Sabaoth the only giver of all Victory And in these smaller Matters our Arch-bishop was fain now to be contented to busy himself since about this Juncture Winton or his Party had the Ascendent and did all at Court Concerning these latter Times of King Henry when the Popish Bishops carried all before them again and the Acts of Parliament that were made whereby the Bishops were empowred to call Sessions as oft as they would to try those that gave not due Obedience to the Superstitions of the Church and that upon pain of Treason Thus Iohn Bale complains whose Words may give us some light into the sad Condition of these Times Still remaineth there Soul-Masses of all Abominations the principal their prodigious Sacrifices their Censings of Idols their boyish Processions their uncommanded Worshippings and their Confessions in the Ear of all Traitery the Fountain with many other strange Observations which the Scripture of God knoweth not Nothing is brought as yet to Christ's clear Institution and sincere Ordinance but all remaineth still as the Antichrists left it Nothing is tried by God's Word but by the ancient Authority of Fathers Now passeth all under their Title Though the old Bishops of Rome were of late Years proved Antichrists and their Names razed out of our Books yet must they thus properly for old Acquaintance be called still Our Fathers If it were naught afore I think it is now much worse for now are they become laudable Ceremonies whereas before-time they were but Ceremonies alone Now are they become necessary Rites godly Constitutions seemly Vsages and civil Ordinances whereas afore they had no such Names And he that disobeyeth them shall not only be judged a Felon and worthy to be hanged by their new-forged Laws but also condemned for a Traitor against the King though he never in his Life hindred but rather to his Power hath forwarded the Common-Wealth To put this with such-like in Execution th◠Bishops have Authority every Month in the Year if they list to call a Session to Hang and Burn at their pleasure And this is ratified and confirmed by Act of Parliament to stand the more in Effect Gardiner Bishop of Winchester had by his Policy and Interest brought things thus backward again and exalted the Power of the Bishops that of late Years had been much eclipsed And so he plainly told one Seton a Man of Eminency in these Times both for Piety and Learning in London who met with Troubles there about the Year 1541 for a Sermon preached at S. Anthonies against Justification by Works This Seton being now it seems fallen into new Troubles and brought before the aforesaid Bishop when he was able no longer to withstand the manifest Truth said to him Mr. Seton we know ye are Learned and plenteously endued with Knowledg in the Scriptures yet think not that ye shall overcome us No no set your Heart at rest and look never to have it said that ye have overcome the Bishops For it shall not be so Robert Holgate Bishop of Landaff was this Year preferred to the See of York His Confirmation is mentioned in the Arch-bishop of Canterbury's Register Wherein is set down an Oath which he then took of Renunciation of the Pope and Acknowledgment of the King's Supremacy very full and large Afterwards I find the same Oath administred to Kitchin Elect of Landaff and Ridley Elect of Rochester and Farrar of S. Davids But I think it not unworthy to be here set down as I find it seeming to be a new Form drawn up to be henceforth taken by all Bishops And this Arch-bishop of York the first that took it I Robert Arch-bishop of York Elect having now the Vail of Darkness of the Usurped Power Authority and Jurisdiction of the See and Bishop of Rome clearly taken away from mine Eyes do utterly testify and declare in my Conscience that neither the See nor the Bishop of Rome nor any Foreign Potestate hath nor ought to have any Jurisdiction Power or Authority within this Realm neither by God's Law nor by any just Law or Means And though by Sufferance and Abusions in Time past they aforesaid have usurped and vindicated a feigned and unlawful Power and Jurisdiction within this Realm which hath been supported till few Years past Therefore because it might be deemed and thought thereby that I took or take it for Just and Good I therefore do now clearly and frankly renounce forsake refuse and relinquish that pretended Authority Power and Jurisdiction both of the See and Bishop of Rome and of all other Foreign Powers And that I shall never consent or agree that the foresaid See or Bp of Rome or any of their Successors shall practise exercise or have any manner of Authority Jurisdiction or Power within this Realm or any other the King's Realms or Dominions nor any Foreign Potestate of what State Degree or Condition he be but that I shall resist the same to the uttermost of my Power and that I shall bear Faith Troth and true Allegiance to the King's Majesty and to his Heirs and Successors declared or hereafter to be declared by the Authority of the Act made in the Sessions of his Parliament holden at Westminster the 14 th day of Ianuary in the 35 th Year and in the Act made in the 28 th Year of the King's Majesty's Reign And that I shall accept repute and take the King's Majesty his Heirs and Successors when they or any of them shall enjoy his Place to be the only Supream Head in Earth under God of the Church of England and
Ireland and all other his Highness Dominions And that with my Body Cunning Wit and uttermost of my Power without Guile Fraud or other undue Means I shall observe keep maintain and defend all the King's Majesty's Stiles Titles and Rights with the whole Effects and Contents of the Acts provided for the same and all other Acts and Statutes made and to be made within the Realm in and for that purpose and the Derogation Extirpation and Extinguishment of the usurped and pretended Authority Power and Jurisdiction of the See and Bishop of Rome and all other Foreign Potestates as afore And also as well his Statute made in the said 28 th Year as his Statute made in the Parliament holden in the 35 th Year of the King's Majesty's Reign for Establishment and Declaration of his Highness Succession and all Acts and Statutes made and to be made in Confirmation and Corroboration of the King's Majesty's Power and Supremacy in Earth of his Church of England and of Ireland and all other his Grace's Dominions I shall also defend and maintain with my Body and Goods with all my Wit and Power And thus I shall do against all manner of Persons of what State Dignity Degree or Condition soever they be and in no wise do nor attempt nor to my Power suffer or know to be done or attempted directly or indirectly any thing or things privily or apertly to the let hindrance damage or derogation of any of the said Statutes or any part thereof by any manner of Means or for or by any manner of Pretence And in case any Oath hath been made by me to any Person or Persons in Maintenance Defence or Favour of the Bishop of Rome or his Authority Jurisdiction or Power or against any the Statutes aforesaid I repute the same as vain and adnichilate I shall wholly observe and keep this Oath So help me God and all Saints and the Holy Evangeles And then after this Oath followed the Prayers before the Benediction of the Pall and the Ceremonies of delivering it CHAP. XXX The Arch-bishop Reformeth the Canon Law OUR Arch-bishop seeing the great Evil and Inconvenience of Canons and Papal Laws which were still in Force and studied much in the Kingdom had in his Mind now a good while to get them suppressed or to reduce them into a narrower Compass and to cull out of them a set of just and wholsome Laws that should serve for the Government of the Ecclesiastical State And indeed there was great need of some Reformation of these Laws For most of them extolled the Pope unmeasurably and made his Power to be above that of Emperors and Kings Some of them were That he that acknowledged not himself to be under the Bishop of Rome and that the Pope is ordained of God to have the Primacy over the World is an Heretick That Princes Laws if they be against the Canons and Decrees of the Bishop of Rome be of no Force That all the Decrees of the Bishop of Rome ought to be kept perpetually as God's Word spoken by the Mouth of Peter That all Kings Bishops and Noblemen that believe or suffer the Bishop of Rome's Decrees in any thing to be violated are accursed That the See of Rome hath neither Spot nor Wrinkle And abundance of the like which the Arch-bishop himself drew out of the Canon Laws and are set down by the Bishop of Sarum in his History Therefore by the Arch-bishop's Motion and Advice the King had an Act past the last Year viz. 1544. That his Majesty should have Authority during his Life to name thirty two Persons that is to say sixteen Spiritual and sixteen Temporal to examine all Canons Constitutions and Ordinances Provincial and Synodal and to draw up such Laws Ecclesiastical as should be thought by the King and them convenient to be used in all Spiritual Courts According to this Act tho it seems this Nomination hapned some time before the making of the same the King nominated several Persons to study and prepare a Scheme of good Laws for the Church Who brought their Business to a Conclusion and so it rested for a time The Archbishop being now to go down into Kent to meet some Commissioners at Sittingborn went to Hampton-Court to take his leave of the King There he put him in mind of these Ecclesiastical Laws and urged him to ratify them So the King bad him dispatch to him the Names of the Persons which had been chiefly left to Cranmer's Election and the Book they had made This care he going out of Town left with Heth Bishop of Rochester So that these Laws by the great Pains of the Arch-bishop and some Learned Men about him were brought to that good Perfection that they wanted nothing but the Confirmation of the King And there was a Letter drawn up ready for that purpose for the King to sign It was directed to all Arch-bishops Bishops Abbots Clerks Dukes Marquesses Earls Barons Knights and Gentlemen and all others of whatsoever Degree his Subjects and Liege-men Giving them to understand That in the room of the corrupt Laws Decrees and Statutes that proceeded from the Bishops of Rome which were all abolished he had put forth by his Authority another Set of Ecclesiastical Laws which he required to be observed under pain of his Indignation The Copy of this Letter may be read in the Appendix But whatsoever the Matter was whether it were the King 's other Business or the secret Oppositions of Bishop Gardiner and the Papists this Letter was not signed by the King I have seen the Digest of these Ecclesiastical Laws in a Manuscript in Folio fairly written out by the Arch-bishop's Secretary with the Title to each Chapter prefixed and the Index of the Chapters at the beginning both of the Arch-bishop's own Hand In many places there be his own Corrections and Additions and sometimes a Cross by him struck through divers Lines And so he proceeded a good way in the Book And where the Arch-bishop left off Peter Martyr went on by his Order to revise the rest in the Method he had begun And in the Title De Praescriptionibus the greatest part of the seventh Chapter is Martyr's own writing viz. beginning at this word Rumpitur which is in Pag. 248. of the printed Book Lin. 23. and so to the end of the Chapter So that this Manuscript I conjecture was the first Draught of these Laws prepared in the Reign of King Henry and revised in the Reign of King Edward his Successor when P. Martyr was appointed by that King's Letters to be one of those that were to be employed in this Work who was much at this Time with the Arch-bishop In this Draught were several Chapters afterwards added partly by Cranmer and partly by Martyr There was yet a latter and more perfect Draught of these Laws as they were compleated and finished in King Edward's Reign This Draught fell into the
must be attributed to his being Abroad that the King gave an Ear to the Arch-bishop and apointed a Set of more moderate Bishops and Divines to prepare Matter for his Allowance and Ratification But VVinchester tho at a distance had Information of these Designs by his Intelligencers and by making the King believe that if he suffered any Innovations in Religion to proceed the Emperor would withdraw his Mediation for a League by these crafty Means of this Man these good Motions proceeded no further So that there were two Abuses in Religion which our Arch-bishop by Time and seasonable Inculcation brought the King off from He had a very great Esteem for Images in Churches and for the Worship used to the Cross. And many Disputations and Discourses happened between the King and the Arch-bishop concerning them Once at the King's Palace at Newhal in Essex Canterbury and Winchester being alone with the King a Talk happened about Images and the Arguments that were used for abolishing them were considered The Arch-bishop who built all his Arguments upon the Word of God produced the second Commandment and thence he raised his Argument But the King discussed it as a Commandment relating only to the Jews and not to us as VVinchester relates in one of his Letters to the Duke of Somerset adding because the reasoning was so much to his own Mind That the King so discussed it that all the Clerks in Christendom could not amend it And when at another time one had used Arguments against the Image of the Trinity whether Cranmer or some else I know not VVinchester heard the King answer them too So possess'd was the King once with an Opinion of retaining them and yet at length by the Arch-bishop's wise and moderate Carriage and Speeches the King was brought to another Opinion and to give his Orders for the abolishing of a great many of them namely of such as had been abused But when he had done this he would not forgo the other but commanded Kneeling and Creeping to the Cross. And gross was the Superstition that was committed in this blind Devotion which the King by the Arch-bishop's means being at length sensible of was prevailed with that this also should no more be used as you heard before There was one thing more this careful Arch-bishop recommended to the King this Year He was troubled for his Cathedral Church of Canterbury observing how the Revenues of it were diminished and made away daily by the Prebendaries thereof to satisfy the insatiable Greediness of the Laity and it may be their own too And the Courtiers and others were hard to be withstood when they were minded to rake from the Church The Practice was that when any were minded to get a Portion of Land from the Church they would first engage the King therein and so the Church was to make it over to him Anâ— then by Gift or for some trifling Consideration as a Sale it was conveyed to them from the King Nay sometimes they would use the King's Name without his knowledg Cranmer had the Honesty and the Courage to make Complaint of this Abuse and Injury done to the Revenues of the Cathedral That those of the Church to their Disquietment and also great Charges did alienate their Lands daily as it was said by the King's Commandment But he was sure he said that others had gotten the best Lands and not his Majesty Therefore he sued that when his Majesty was minded to have any of their Lands that they might have some Letters from him to declare his Pleasure without the which they were sworn to make no Alienation and that the same Alienations might not be made at other Mens Pleasures but only to his Majesty's Use. By which Means it is likely the Prebendaries had more quiet Possession of their Lands for the time to come By this Time the Arch-bishop had compassed two very good Things in order to the furthering the Common People in Knowledg and True Religion The one was that he brought in among the Laity a more common use of the Scriptures and the other that Sermons were more frequently preached than had been before But both these to the Grief of the Arch-bishop were sadly abused For now the Contending of Preachers in their Pulpits one against another grew more and more and became most scandalous So that few preached the Word of God truly and sincerely but ran almost wholly upon Matters controverted and in that railing manner that their Expressions were very provoking So that this came to the sowing of Discord among the People instead of promoting Love Unity and solid Religion The Laity on the other hand some of them railed much on the Bishops and spoke contemptibly of the Priests and taunted the Preachers The Scriptures were much read but the Effect of it appeared too much in their making use of it only for Jangling and Disputation upon Points of Religion and to taunt at the Ignorance or Error of Priests Others on the other hand to be even with the Gospellers made it their Business to derogate from the Scripture to deal with it irreverently and to rhime and sing and make sport with it in Ale-houses and Taverns These things came to King Henry's Ears which made him very earnestly blame both the Laity and Spirituality for it in a Speech which he made at the Dissolution of his Parliament this Year A Bishop Confirmed Anthony Kitchin alias Dunstan D.D. was Elected and Confirmed Bishop of Landaff May 2. The ABp sent his Commissional Letters dated the same Day to Thomas Bishop of Westminster for his Consecration But the Consecration is not entred in the Register His Oath to the King began thus I Anthony Kitchin Elect Bishop of Landaff having now the Vale of Darkness of the Usurped Power Authority and Jurisdiction of the See and Bishop of Rome clearly taken away from mine Eyes do utterly testify and declare in my Heart that neither the See nor the Bishop of Rome nor any Foreign Potestate hath or ought to have c. as before Another Proclamation was set out the next Year which was the last issued out under this King prohibiting again Tindal's and Coverdale's English New Testament or any other than what was permitted by Parliament and also the English Books of Wickliff Frith c. the King being vexed with the Contests and Clamours of the People one against another while they disputed so much of what they read and practised so little A small matter oftentimes creates great Brablings and Contentions in Fraternities Such a small thing now occurred in the Arch-bishop's Church Two of the Prebends were minded to change Houses but the rest it seems made some Opposition as reckoning it contrary to a certain Statute of that Church The Arch-bishop hearing hereof seasonably interposed and interpreted their Statute for them The Preachers also of this Church seem not to have been fairly dealt with by the Prebends
made of seven steps of height all round where the King's Majesty's Chair Royal stood and he sat therein after he was crowned all the Mass-while Fourthly At nine of the Clock all Westminster Choire was in their Copes and three goodly Crosses before them and after them other three goodly rich Crosses and the King's Chappel with his Children following all in Scarlet with Surplices and Copes on their Backs And after them ten Bishops in Scarlet with their Rochets and rich Copes on their Backs and their Mitres on their Heads did set forth at the West Door of Westminster towards the King's Palace there to receive his Grace and my Lord of Canterbury with his Cross before him alone and his Mitre on his Head And so past forth in order as before is said And within a certain space after were certain blew Cloths laid abroad in the Church-floor against the King's coming and so all the Palace even to York place Then is described the setting forward to Westminster Church to his Coronation Unction and Confirmation After all the Lords in order had kneeled down and kiss'd his Grace's right Foot and after held their Hands between his Grace's Hands and kiss'd his Grace's left Cheek and so did their Homage Then began a Mass of the Holy Ghost by my Lord of Canterbury with good singing in the Choire and Organs playing There at Offering time his Grace offered to the Altar a Pound of Gold a Loaf of Bread and a Chalice of Wine Then after the Levation of the Mass there was read by my Lord Chancellor in presence of all the Nobles a General Pardon granted by King Henry the Eighth Father to our Liege Lord the King that all shall be pardoned that have offended before the 28 th day of Ianuary last past When the King's Majesty with his Nobles came to the Place of the Coronation within a while after his Grace was removed into a Chair of Crimson Velvet and born in the Chair between two Noblemen unto the North-side of the Stage and shewed to the People and these words spoken to the People by my Lord of Canterbury in this manner saying Sirs here I present unto you K. Edward the rightful Inheritor to the Crown of this Realm Wherefore all ye that be come this Day to do your Homage Service and bounden Duty Be ye willing to do the same To the which all the People cried with a loud Voice and said Yea Yea Yea and cried King Edward and prayed God save King Edward And so to the South-side in like manner and to the East-side and to the West-side After this his Grace was born again to the high Altar in his Chair and there sat bare-headed And all his Nobles and Peers of the Realm were about his Grace and my Lord of Canterbury Principal And there made certain Prayers and Godly Psalms over his Grace and the Choire answered with goodly Singing the Organs playing and Trumpets blowing Then after a certain Unction Blessing and Signing of his Grace he was born into a Place by the high Altar where the Kings use always to kneel at the Levation of the Parliament-Mass And there his Grace was made ready of new Garments and after a certain space brought forth between two Noble-men and sat before the High Altar bare-headed Then after a while his Grace was anointed in the Breast his Soles of his Feet his Elbows his Wrists of his Hands and his Crown of his Head with vertuous Prayer said by the Bishop of Canterbury and sung by the Choire Then anon after this a goodly fair Cloth of red Tinsel Gold was hung over his Head And my Lord of Canterbury kneeling on his Knees and his Grace lying prostrate afore the Altar anointed his Back Then after this my Lord of Canterbury arose and stood up and the fair Cloth taken away Then my Lord Protector Duke of Somerset held the Crown in his Hand a certain space and immediately after began Te Deum with the Organs going the Choire singing and the Trumpets playing in the Battlements of the Church Then immediately after that was the Crown set on the King's Majesty's Head by them two viz. Somerset and the Arch-bishop of Canterbury And after that another Crown and so his Grace was crowned with three Crowns The Relation breaks off here abruptly But what is wanting may be supplied by the Order of the Coronation as Bishop Burnet hath taken it out of the Council-Book and given it us in his History At this Coronation there was no Sermon as I can find but that was supplied by an excellent Speech which was made by the Arch-bishop It was found among the inestimable Collections of Arch-bishop Vsher and though published of late Years yet I cannot but insert it here tending so much to illustrate the Memory of this great and good Arch-bishop MOST Dread and Royal Soveraign The Promises your Highness hath made here at your Coronation to forsake the Devil and all his Works are not to be taken in the Bishop of Rome's Sense when you commit any thing distastful to that See to hit your Majesty in the Teeth as Pope Paul the Third late Bishop of Rome sent to your Royal Father saying Didst thou not promise at our permission of thy Coronation to forsake the Devil and all his Works and dost thou run to Heresy For the Breach of this thy Promise knowest thou not that 't is in our Power to dispose of thy Sword and Scepter to whom we please We your Majesty's Clergy do humbly conceive that this Promise reacheth not at your Highness Sword Spiritual or Temporal or in the least at your Highness swaying the Scepter of this your Dominion as you and your Predecessors have had them from God Neither could your Ancestors lawfully resign up their Crowns to the Bishop of Rome or his Legats according to their ancient Oaths then taken upon that Ceremony The Bishops of Canterbury for the most part have crowned your Predecessors and anointed them Kings of this Land Yet it was not in their Power to receive or reject them neither did it give them Authority to prescribe them Conditions to take or to leave their Crowns although the Bishops of Rome would encroach upon your Predecessors by their Act and Oil that in the end they might possess those Bishops with an Interest to dispose of their Crowns at their Pleasure But the wiser sort will look to their Claws and clip them The solemn Rites of Coronation have their Ends and Utility yet neither direct Force or Necessity They be good Admonitions to put Kings in mind of their Duty to God but no encreasement of their Dignity For they be God's Anointed not in respect of the Oil which the Bishop useth but in consideration of their Power which is Ordained Of the Sword which is Authorized Of their Persons which are elected of God and endued with the Gifts of his Spirit for the better ruling and guiding of his People The Oil if added
is but a Ceremony If it be wanting that King is yet a perfect Monarch notwithstanding and God's Anoined as well as if he was inoiled Now for the Person or Bishop that doth anoint a King it is proper to be done by the chiefest But if they cannot or will not any Bishop may perform this Ceremony To condition with Monarchs upon these Ceremonies the Bishop of Rome or other Bishops owning his Supremacy hath no Authority but he may faithfully declare what God requires at the Hands of Kings and Rulers that is Religion and Vertue Therefore not from the Bishop of Rome but as a Messenger from my Saviour Iesus Christ I shall most humbly admonish your Royal Majesty what Things your Highness is to perform Your Majesty is God's Vicegerent and Christ's Vicar within your own Dominions and to see with your Predecessor Iosias God truly worshipped and Idolatry destroyed the Tyranny of the Bishops of Rome banished from your Subjects and Images removed These Acts be Signs of a second Iosias who reformed the Church of God in his Days You are to reward Vertue to revenge Sin to justify the Innocent to relieve the Poor to procure Peace to repress Violence and to execute Justice throughout your Realms For Precedents on those Kings who performed not these Things the Old Law shews how the Lord revenged his Quarrel and on those Kings who fulfilled these things he poured forth his Blessings in abundance For Example it is written of Iosiah in the Book of the Kings thus Like unto him there was no King that turned to the Lord with all his Heart according to all the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him This was to that Prince a perpetual Fame of Dignity to remain to the End of Days Being bound by my Function to lay these Things before your Royal Highness the one as a Reward if you fulfil the other as a Judgment from God if you neglect them Yet I openly declare before the living God and before these Nobles of the Land that I have no Commission to denounce your Majesty deprived if your Highness miss in part or in whole of these Performances Much less to draw up Indentures between God and your Majesty or to say you forfeit your Crown with a Clause for the Bishop of Rome as have been done by your Majesty's Predecessors King Iohn and his Son Henry of this Land The Almighty God of his Mercy let the Light of his Countenance shine upon your Majesty grant you a prosperous and happy Reign defend you and save you and let your Subjects say Amen God save the King I find no Bishop Consecrated this Year CHAP. II. A Royal Visitation BY these and other pious Instigations of the Arch-bishop who was of high esteem with the King he began early to think of the Church and to take care about rectifying the Disorders of its Members For about April there was a Royal Visitation resolved upon all England over for the better Reformation of Religion And accordingly in the beginning of May Letters were issued out from the King to the Arch-bishops that they and all their Fellow-Bishops should forbear their Visitations as was usually done in all Royal and Archiepiscopal Visitations And it was enjoined that no Ministers should preach in any Churches but in their own In a Volume in the Cotton Library there be extant the King's Letters to Robert Arch-bishop of York relating to this Visitation signed by our Arch-bishop the Duke of Somerset the Protector and his Brother Sir Thomas Seymour the Lord Russel Favourers of the Reformation the Lord St. Iohns Petres the Secretary who went along with it Gage Controuler of the Houshold and Baker Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations back-Friends to it I do not set down the Letter it self because the Bishop of Sarum hath already published it in his History Very worthy sober and learned Men were appointed for Visitors both of the Laity and Clergy And there was a Book of Injunctions prepared whereby the King 's Visitors were to govern their Visitation The Original of which Book of Injunctions is extant in Benet-College Library There I have seen them being signed by Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Duke of Somerset Sir Thomas Seymour and divers others of the Privy-Council but no Bishop save Cranmer only he being I suppose the only Bishop then a Privy-Counsellor and now often appearing in the Council for the better forwarding of Religion These Injunctions are printed in Bishop Sparrow's Collection and briefly epitomized in the History of the Reformation The Persons nominated for this present Employment were these as I find them set down in a Manuscript formerly belonging to Arch-bishop Parker but now in the Benet-College Library Where you may observe the Visitors were divided into six Sets and to each Set were apportioned particular Counties and a Preacher and a Register in this exact Method following Visitors Added by ABp Parker Counties visited Dean of Westminster Boston York Sir Iohn Herseley Kt.  Durysme Nicholas Ridley Preacher  Carlyll Edward Plankney Register  Chester Sir Anthony Coke Kt.  Westminster Sir Iohn Godsalve Kt.   Dr. Christopher Nevison The Elder London Iohn Gosnold A Lawyer  Dr. Madewe Preacher  Norwich Peter Lylly Register  Ely Sir Iohn Hales Kt.  Rochester Sir Iohn Mason Kt.   Sir Anthony Cope Kt.  Canterbury Dr. Cave A Lawyer  Mr. Briggs Preacher Once of Pembroke Chichester Rafe Morice Register  Winchester Dean of Pauls Dr. May. Sarisbury Dean of Exeter Dr. Hains Exeter Sir Walter Buckler Kt.  Bath Mr. Cotisford Preacher  Bristow Iohn Redman Register Of Haslingfeld Glocester Dean of Lincoln Dr. Taylor Peterburgh Dr. Rowland Taylor  Lincoln Mr. Iohn Ioseph Once of Canterbury Oxford  a Friar Coventry Iohn Old Register  Litchfeld Mr. Morison Once Husband to the Earl of Rutland's Wife Worcester  Hereford Mr. Syddel  Landaff Mr. Ferrowr Preacher After L. Bishop of S. Davids S. Davids George Constantine Register  Bangor Hue Rawlins Preacher in the Welch Tongue  S. Asse Where we may observe that in every Company of Visitors was joined one Preacher or more whose Business in the respective Circuits was to preach to the People to dehort them from the superstitious use of Beads and such-like Things and to learn them to worship God truly in Heart and Mind and to obey the Prince The Method which these Commissioners used in their Visitation as we collect from what was done at S. Pauls London was this They summoned the Bishop and the Members of each Cathedral and first sware them to renounce the Bishop of Rome and to the King's Supremacy and then that they should present all things in their Church and Diocess needful to be reformed Then certain Interrogatories and Articles of Enquiry were read to them by the Register To perform which an Oath was administred to
Irenicum published by him from a Manuscript Volume once belonging to Arch-bishop Cranmer In this Convocation the Arch-bishop bore the great Sway and what things were agitated herein were chiefly by his Motion and Direction Some whereof were turned into Laws by the Parliament that was now sitting through his Activeness and Influence As particularly that Repeal of the Statute of the Six Articles and of some other severe Laws decreeing divers things Treason and Felony made in the former King's Reign For when the Arch-bishop in the Convocation had made a Speech to the Clergy exhorting them to give themselves to the study of the Scriptures and to consider what Things in the Church needed Reformation that so the Church might be discharged of all Popish Trash not yet thrown out Some told him that as long as the Six Articles remained it was not safe for them to deliver their Opinions This he reported to the Council Upon which they ordered this Act of Repeal By his means also another great thing moved in the Convocation was now ratified and made a Law by this Parliament which was for the Administration of the Communion under both Kinds throughout the Kingdom of England and Ireland And upon this the King appointed certain Grave and Learned Bishops and others to assemble at Windsor-Castle there to treat and confer together and to conclude upon and set forth one perfect and uniform Order of Communion according to the Rules of Scripture and the Use of the Primitive Church And this being framed it was enjoined to be used throughout the Realm by a Proclamation and all required to receive it with due Reverence I meet with a Writing of the Arch-bishop without Date consisting of Queries concerning the Mass in order to the abolishing it and changing it into a Communion Which I know not where so well to place as here now the Convocation was employed upon this Matter For it seems to have been drawn up by the Arch-bishop on purpose to be laid before the Consideration of this House The Queries were these What or wherein Iohn Fasting giving Alms being Baptized or receiving the Sacrament of the Altar in England doth profit and avail Thomas dwelling in Italy and not knowing what Iohn in England doth Whether it profit them that be in Heaven and wherein Whether it lieth in the Faster Giver of Alms Receiver of the Sacrament him that is Baptized to defraud any Member of Christ's Body of the Benefit of Fasting Alms-Deeds Baptism or Receiving of the Sacrament and to apply the same Benefit to one Person more than to another What thing is the Presentation of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Mass which you call the Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ And wherein standeth it in Act Gesture or Word and in what Act Gesture or Word Is there any Rite or Prayer and expressed in the Scripture which Christ used or commanded at the first Institution of the Mass which we be now bound to use and what the same be Whether in the Primitive Church there were any Priests that lived by saying of Mass Mattens and Even-song and praying for Souls only And where any such State of Priesthood be allowed in the Scriptures or be meet to be allowed now For what Cause were it not expedient nor convenient to have the whole Mass in the English Tongue Wherein consisteth the Mass by Christ's Institution What Time the accustomed Order began first in the Church that the Priests alone should receive the Sacrament Whether it be convenient that the same Custom continue still within this Realm Whether it be convenient that Masses Satisfactory should continue that is to say Priests hired to sing for Souls departed Whether the Gospel ought to be taught at the Time of the Mass to the understanding of the People being present Whether in the Mass it were convenient to use such Speech as the People may understand To proceed to some other Things wherein our Arch-bishop was this Year concerned In Iune the Church of S. Pauls was hanged with Black and a sumptuous Hearse set up in the Choire and a Dirige there sung for the French King who deceased the March precedent And on the next Day the Arch-bishop assisted with eight Bishops more all in rich Mitres and their other Pontificals did sing a Mass of Requiem and the Bishop of Rochester preached a Funeral Sermon A nice Matter was now put by the Council to the Arch-bishop having some other Bishops and Learned Men joined with him to the Number of Ten. The Case was Whether a Man divorced from his Wife for her Adultery might not lawfully marry again This was propounded upon the Account of a great Man in those Times namely the Brother of Queen Katherine Par Marquess of Northampton who had gotten a Divorce from his Wife the Daughter of Bourchier Earl of Essex for Adultery The Canon Law would not allow marrying again upon a Divorce making Divorce to be only a Separation from Bed and Board and not a Dissolving the Knot of Marriage This was a great Question depending among the Civilians And it being committed to the Determination of our Arch-bishop and some other Delegates tho the Marquess staid not for their Resolution but in this Interval married Elizabeth Daughter of the Lord Brook he searched so diligently into the Scriptures first and then into the Opinions of Fathers and Doctors that his Collections swelled into a Volume yet remaining in the Hands of a Learned Bishop of this Realm The Sum whereof is digested by the Bishop of Saâ—â—m Cranmer seemed to allow of Marriage in the Innocent Person He was a Means also to the Council of forbidding Processions Wherein the People carried Candles on Candlemass-day Ashes on Ash-wednesday Palms on Palm-sunday because he saw they were used so much to Superstition and looked like Festivals to the Heathen Gods So that this Year on Candlemass-day the old Custom of bearing Candles in the Church and on Ash-wednesday following giving Ashes in the Church was left off through the whole City of London He was a Member of a Committee this Winter appointed to examine all the Offices of the Church and to consider where they needed Reformation and accordingly to reform them Of this Commission were most of the Bishops and several others of the most Learned Divines in the Nation And a new Office for the Communion was by them prepared and by Authority set forth as was observed before and received all over England CHAP. V. The Arch-bishop's Catechism THIS Year the Arch-bishop put forth a very useful Catechism intituled A short Instruction to Christian Religion for the singular Profit of Children and young People This Catechism went not by way of Question and Answer but contained an easy Exposition of the Ten Commandments the Creed the Lord's Prayer and the two Sacraments The first and second Commandments were put together as one and the whole recital
Year when Ridley was translated thither as we shall see by and by Indeed this was the most plausible Pretence the Papists had and which they made much use of Which Boner and Gardiner had cunningly invented viz. That though the King were to be obeyed and all were bound to submit to his Laws yet not to the Orders and Placits of his Counsellors who made what Innovations they pleased in his Name and were none of his Laws and that therefore things should remain in the State wherein the former King left them till the King now a Child came to Years of Discretion to make Laws himself This the Rebels in Devon made use of And this also the Lady Mary urged very boldly to the Lords of the Council for her incompliance with the Communion-Book and for continuance of the use of the Mass telling them in a Letter That she was resolved to remain obedient to her Father's Laws till the King her Brother should have perfect Years of Discretion to order that Power that God had given him Which Letter whereof I have the Original may be seen in the Appendix For the satisfying therefore of the People in this the Preachers were fain to do their Endeavours in the Pulpits Shewing them that those that were in Office under the King were by the Word of God to be obeyed as the King himself There be some Men that say as Latimer in one of his Sermons in these Days when the King's Majesty himself commandeth me so to do then I will do it not afore This is a wicked Saying and damnable For we may not so be excused Scripture is plain in it and sheweth us that we ought to obey his Officers having Authority from the King as well as unto the King himself Therefore this Excuse will not nor cannot serve afore God Yet let the Magistrates take heed to their Office and Duty This Year the Arch-bishop celebrated a great Ordination consisting of such chiefly as shewed themselves Favourers of the King's Proceedings to be sent abroad to preach the Gospel and to serve in the Ministry of the Church At this Ordination Bishop Ridley also assisted the Arch-bishop The old Popish Order of conferring of Holy Orders was yet in force the new Office as yet not being prepared and established But this Ordination nevertheless was celebrated after that Order that was soon after established At this Ordination great Favour was shewn and Connivance to such who otherwise being well qualified for Piety and Learning scrupled wearing the Habits used by the Popish Priests I meet with two famous Men now ordained The one was Robert Drakes who was Deacon to Dr. Tayler Parson of Hadley at the Commandment of Arch-bishop Cranmer afterwards Parson of Thundersley in Essex and in the Year 1556 burnt to death in Smithfield for his constant Profession of Christ's Religion The other was Thomas Sampson Parson of Breadstreet London and successively Dean of Chichester and Christ's-Church Oxon. Who in a Letter of his written to Secretary Cecyl in Q. Elizabeth's Reign said That at his Ordination he excepted against the Apparel and by the Arch-bishop and Bishop Ridley he was nevertheless permitted and admitted All the Divine Offices were now reformed but only that for Ordination of Ministers Therefore for the doing of this the Council appointed Twelve Learned Men consisting half of Bishops and half of other inferior Divines Whose Names I do not meet with excepting Hethe Bp of Worcester Who because he would not assist in this Work was sent to Prison The chief of them no doubt was the Arch-bishop After mature deliberation this Office was agreed upon and finished And Ponet was the first Bishop Consecrated after this new Form And that I suppose may be the reason that it is set down at length in the Arch-bishop's Register in that manner as it is there to be seen as we shall see under the next Year Upon the Vacancy of Cathedral Churches the Arch-bishop used to visit So now the Church of S. Davids being vacant upon the remove of Barlow to Bath and Wells the Arch-bishop issued out a Commission to Eliseus Price to visit that Church And upon the Vacancy of Glocester by the Death of Wakeman there was a Commission to I. Williams LL. D. and Prebendary there to be his Commissary and to visit that Church and to be Keeper of the Spiritualties of the City and Diocess of Glocester in this third Year of the King This Year also the Church of Norwich being become Vacant by the Resignation of Repps the Arch-bishop granted a Commission to Iohn Bishop Suffragan of Thetford and Dean of the Church of the Holy Trinity Norwich to be his Deputy and Commissary for Visitation and Jurisdiction But somewhat before this he constituted Roland Taylor LL.D. and Will. Wakefeld D. D. to be Keepers of the Spiritualties of Norwich From whose Jurisdiction he protested not to derogate by those his Commissional Letters to the Suffragan nor to withdraw from them any Authority of Jurisdiction This was dated February 15. Also the Church of London being Vacant by the Deprivation and Destitution of Boner the Arch-bishop constituted Gabriel Donne Residentiary of S. Pauls to be his Official and Keeper of the Spiritualties to exercise all manner of Episcopal Jurisdiction in the said City and Diocess This Year he made Griffin Leyson LL.D. Dean of the Arches CHAP. XII Duke of Somerset's Troubles The Common-Prayer Ratified WHEN most of the Council had combined together in the Month of October against the Protector of the King's Person the Duke of Somerset and had withdrawn themselves to Ely-House the King then being at Hampton-Court and suddenly conveyed by the said Duke to Windsor upon the fear of Tumult then I find the Arch-bishop and but two Privy-Counsellors more with the King and the Protector there Being here the good Arch-bishop though he would not forsake his Friend the Duke nor the King his Master yet he did what lay in him to appease and pacify these Heats And so he with the Lord Paget and Secretary Smith in their own and the King's Name wrote an earnest Letter to the Separating Counsellors and sent it by Sir Philip Hoby Wherein as appears by their Answer They were charged by the Arch-bishop with creating much Care and Sorrow to the King and that he thought they had not that Care that beseemed them of pacifying the present Uproars and for the preservation of the State from Danger That they forgat the Benefits they had received from the King's Father nor were mindful of their Duty of Allegiance That their Doings bespake Wilfulness and that the Protector meant nothing but the Safety and Protection of the King in what he had done and that he had that consideration of his Duty to God that the Promise and Oath he made required They were advised to do as they would be done unto And mention was made of Cruelty more than once charging
first made an Oration directed unto the Arch-bishop at the opening of his Commission Next Dr. Martin made a short Speech and being with Dr. Story appointed the King's and Queen's Attorneys he offered unto the said Bishop their Proxy sealed with the Broad-Seal of England and then presenting himself to be Proctor on their behalf After that he proceeded to exhibit certain Articles against the Arch-bishop containing Adultery and Perjury the one for being Married the other for breaking his Oath to the Pope Also he exhibited Books of Heresy made partly by him and partly by his Authority published And so produced him as a Party principal to answer to his Lordship After this having leave given him the Arch-bishop beginning with the Lord's Prayer and Creed made a long and learned Apology for himself Which is preserved to Posterity in the Acts and Monuments By his Discourse before the Commissioners it appeared how little he was taken with the splendor of worldly Things For he professed That the loss of his Promotions grieved him not He thanked God as heartily for that poor and afflicted State in which he then was as ever he did for the Times of his Prosperity But that which stuck closest to him as he said and created him the greatest Sorrow was to think that all that Pains and Trouble that had been taken by K. Henry and himself for so many Years to retrieve the Antient Authority of the Kings of England and to vindicate the Nation from a Foreign Power and from the Baseness and infinite Inconveniences of crouching to the Bishops of Rome should now thus easily be quite undone again And therefore he said all his Trouble at that time and the greatest that ever he had in his Life was to see the King and Queen's Majesties by their Proctors there to become his Accusers and that in their own Realm and Country before a Foreign Power For that if he had transgressed the Laws of the Land their Majesties had sufficient Authority and Power both from God and the Ordinance of the Realm to punish him Whereunto he would be at all times content to submit himself At this time of his Trial several Interrogatories were administred unto him to make answer to As concerning his Marriage Concerning his setting abroad Heresies and making and publishing certain Books of Heresy To which he confessed That the Catechism and the Book of Articles and the Book against Bishop Gardiner were of his doing Concerning subscribing those Articles and his compelling Persons to subscribe Which he denied but that he exhorted them that were willing to subscribe he acknowledged Concerning his open maintaining his Errors in Oxon Whereas they brought him to the Disputation themselves Concerning his being noted with the Infamy of Schism and that he moved the King and Subjects of his Realm to recede from the Catholick Church and See of Rome Which he acknowledged but that their Departure or Recess had in it no matter of Schism Concerning his being twice sworn to the Pope And Dr. Martin then shewed a Copy of his Protestation against the Pope at his Consecration under a publick Notary's Hand That he took upon him the See of Rome in consecrating Bishops and Priests without Leave or Licence from the said See To which he answered That it was permitted to him by the Publick Laws of the Realm Concerning his standing out still to subscribe to the Pope's Authority when the whole Nation had This being done a publick Notary entred his Answers Then the Bishop of Glocester made another Speech at breaking up of this Meeting and Dr. Story another reflecting upon what Cranmer had said with Reviling and Taunts The last thing they did at this Meeting was to swear several Persons who were the next Day to declare what they knew or could remember against this Reverend Father And these were Dr. Marshal Dean of Christ's-Church a most furious and zelotical Man and who to shew his spight against the Reformation had caused Peter Martyr's Wife who deceased while he was the King's Professor to be taken out of her Grave and buried in his Dunghil Dr. Smith Publick Professor who had recanted most solemnly in K. Edward's Days and to whom the Arch-bishop was a good Friend yet not long afterwards he wrote against his Book and was now sworn a Witness against him Dr. Tresham a Canon of Christ-Church who was one of the Disputers against Cranmer and had said in his Popish Zeal That there were 600 Errors in his Book of the Sacrament Dr. Crook Mr. London a Relation I suppose of Dr. London who came to shame for his false Accusation of Cranmer and others in K. Henry's Reign and now this Man 't is like was willing to be even with Cranmer for his Relation's sake Mr. Curtop another Canon of Christ's-Church formerly a great Hearer of P. Martyr Mr. Ward Mr. Serles the same I suppose who belonged to the Church of Canterbury and had been among the number of the Conspirators against him in K. Henry's Days And these being sworn the Arch-bishop was allowed to make his Exceptions against any of them Who resolutely said He would admit none of them all being perjured Men having sworn against the Pope and now received and defended him And that therefore they were not in Christian Religion And so the good Father was remitted back for that time to Prison again I know not what the Depositions of these Witnesses were given in against him the next Day For Fox relates nothing thereof nor any other as I know of Doubtless they were some of the Doctrines that he preached or taught or defended in Canterbury formerly or more lately in his Disputations in the Schools or in his Discourses in his Prison or at Christ's-Church where he sometimes was entertained But to all that was objected against him he made his Answers And the last thing they of this Commission did was to cite him to appear at Rome within eighty Days to make there his Answer in Person Which he said He would be content to do if the King and Queen would send him And so he was again remanded back to durance where he still remained And an account of what these Commissioners had done was dispatched to Rome forthwith From whence the final Sentence was sent in December next Then Pope Paul sent his Letters Executory unto the King and Queen and to the Bishops of London and Ely to degrade and deprive him and in the end of those fourscore Days he was declared Contumax as wilfully absenting himself from Rome when he was summoned to go though he was detained in Prison which might have been a lawful and just Excuse But these Matters must proceed in their Form whatsoever Absurdity or Falsehood there were in them By these Letters Executory which are in the first Edition of Fox but omitted in all the rest we may collect how the Process went against Cranmer at Rome which I shall here briefly set down
would deal sincerely with him without Fraud or Craft and use him as they would wish to be used in the like case themselves Bidding them remember that with what Measure they meet it should be measured to them again Therefore to make himself some amends for all this foul Dealing his last Refuge was an Appeal Whereof he seriously bethought himself when and in what manner to make it The Causes for his resolving upon it besides those already mentioned were because he remembred Luther once did so in such a Case and that he might not seem rashly to cast away his own Life and because he was bound by his Oath never to receive the Pope's Authority in this Realm and because the Commissioners had broken their Promise with him as above was said and because he thought the Bishop of Rome was not an indifferent Judg in this Cause which was his own Cause for all the Arch-bishop's Troubles came upon him for departing from him He therefore wrote privately to a trusty Friend and Learned in the Law then in the University to instruct him in the Order and Form of an Appeal and whether he should first Appeal from the Judg-Delegate to the Pope or else from that Judg immediately to a General Council And so earnestly entreated him to lay aside all other Studies and to take this in Hand presently because he was summoned to make his Answer at Rome the sixteenth Day of this Month that is of February There was one reason more moved him to Appeal which must not be omitted namely that he might gain Time to finish his Answer to Marcus Antonius He feared after all they would not admit his Appeal But he did not much pass and desired God's Will might be done So that God might be glorified by his Life or Death He thought it much better to die in Christ's Quarrel than to be shut in the Prison of the Body unless it were for the advancement of God's Glory and the Profit of his Brethren This Letter of the Arch-bishop being writ with so much Strength and Presence of Mind and shewing so much Prudence and Wit is happily preserved in Fox's Monuments where it may be read This Appeal when the Arch-bishop had produced and preferred to the Bishop of Ely he told him That they could not admit of it because their Commission was to proceed against him Omni Appellatione remota Cranmer replied That this Cause was not every private Man's Cause but that it was between the Pope and him immediately and none otherwise and that no Man ought to be Judg in his own Cause And therefore they did him the more Wrong So at last Thirlby received it of him and said If it might be admitted it should And so after this Interruption they proceeded to degrade him taking off the rest of his Habits And then put him on a poor Yeoman-Beadle's Gown threadbare and a Towns-man's Cap. And Boner told him He was no Lord any more and so was sent to Prison CHAP. XX. Cranmer Writes to the Queen AND now having undergone these Brunts with all this Gravity Discretion Learning and Courage he next resolved to give the Queen a true and impartial Account of these Transactions to prevent Misreports and to justify himself in what he had said and done Two Letters therefore he wrote to her but thought not fit to entrust them with the Commissioners since Weston had served him such a Trick in the like Case before In these Letters he related the reason of his refusing the Bishop of Glocester for his Judg and of his Appeal For as he thought it his Duty at that juncture to declare himself in that publick manner against the Bishop of Rome so he reckoned he ought to declare himself also to the Supream Magistrate And therefore before the Bishop of Glocester and the Commissioners he said That as he had thus discharged his own Conscience towards the World so he would also write his Mind to her Grace touching this Matter He wrote to her That the twelfth Day of that Month he was cited to appear at Rome the eightieth Day after And that it could not but grieve the Heart of a natural Subject to be accused by the King and Queen of his own Country and before any outward Judg as if the King and Queen were Subjects within their own Realm and were fain to complain and require Justice at a Stranger 's Hand against their own Subject being already condemned to Death by their own Laws As though the King and Queen could not have or do Justice within their own Realm against their own Subjects but they must seek it at a Stranger 's Hand in a strange Land Then he proceeded to shew her why he refused the Pope's Authority when Brooks Bishop of Glocester came to try him namely Because he was sworn never to consent that the Bishop of Rome should have or exercise any Authority or Jurisdiction in the Realm of England Another reason why he denied his Authority was Because his Authority repugned to the Crown Imperial of this Realm and to the Laws of the same For the Pope saith all manner of Power both Temporal and Spiritual is given unto him of God and that Temporal Power is given to Kings and Emperors to use it under him Whereas contrary to this Claim said the Arch-bishop the Imperial Crown of this Realm is taken immediately from God to be used under him only and is subject to none but God alone Moreover to the Imperial Laws of this Realm all the Kings in their Coronations and all Justices when they receive their Offices are sworn and all the whole Realm bound to defend them But contrary hereunto the Pope he said made void and commanded to blot out of our Books all Laws and Customs repugnant to his Laws Then he proceeded to shew how contrary the Laws of the Realm and the Pope's Laws were And therefore that the Kings of this Realm had provided for their Laws by the Premunire So that if any Man let the execution of the Law by any Authority from the See of Rome he fell into the Premunire And to meet with this the Popes had provided for their Law by Cursing He supposed that these things were not fully opened in the Parliament-house when the Pope's Authority was received again For if they were he could not believe that the King and Queen the Nobles and Commons would again receive a Foreign Authority so hurtful and prejudicial to the Crown and to the Laws and State of this Realm He rebuked the Clergy who were the main Movers of this at the Parliament for their own Ends. For they desired to have the Pope their chief Head to the intent that they might have as it were a Kingdom and Laws within themselves distinct from the Laws of the Crown and live in this Realm like Lords and Kings without damage or fear of any Man And then he glanced at some of the Clergy probably
Visitationem Archiep. Cant. FIrst That the Archbp. of Canterbury in al his Monitions and Writings sent to the Bp. Abbots Prior and Archdeacon of London concerning this his Visitation called himself Apostolicae Sedis Legatum and that therefore the Bp. of London with the Chapter did not only advertise the Archbp. therof by their Letters before the day of Visitation But also the same day of the Commencement thâ—reof in the Chapter house of Powles the said Bp. and Chapter before the delivery of the Certificate to the ABp made there openly a â—rotestation reading it in writing signifying that they would neither accept him as such a Legate or admit or obey his Visitation jurisdiction or any thing that he would attempt by the pretext or color of that name of Legate or otherwise against the Crown of our Soveraign his Regality Statutes or customes of his realm And required the said Archbp. to command his Register there present to enact the said Protestation Which he refused utterly to do shewing himself not willing to admit the said Protestation Item That the Archbp. in his said Monition to the Bp. did expresly intimate and signify to him that he would in his Visitation suspend al the jurisdiction of the Bp. the Dean and Archdeacons from the beginning thereof to the ending In such wise that the Bp. nor his Officers Dean nor Archdeacon should or might at that time which he would not determine how long it should endure use no jurisdiction whatsoever causes or necessities should chance of correction institutions of benefices Confirmations of Election Consecrations of Churches Celebrations of Orders or Probation of Testaments with many other things mo appertaining ad forum contentiosum But al and every of these the Archbp. and his Officers would have and suffer none other to use and exercise the same unto the end of his Visitation Which he hath now continued until the first day of December pretending that then he may likewise continue it other six months and so forth without end at his plesure during his life from time to time So that by this means he only and none other should be Bp. but Titularis in all his Province during his life but at his plesure Which were an inconvenience intolerable and such as never was read nor heard of that ever any Metropolitan private Legate or Bp. of Rome in the most Tyranny had usurped the semblable Item That al men learned and Books of the Canon Law doth aggree that no Metropolitan or Primate may thus by any law written suspend al the jurisdiction of the Bishops for the time of their Visitations or exercise the premises during the same Iure Metropolitico And this the Councel of the Archbishop doth not deny nor cannot Item Where the said AB doth pretend that his Predecessors times past hath put in use and exercise al the premises And so though the Common law doth not favor him yet he may lean to prescription First it is to be considered and remembred that the suspension of al jurisdiction of al the Bishops in maner aforesaid seemeth to be against holy scripture and the authority given unto them by God and as it was said before that Suspension were a thing pernitious not read nor heard of to have bee attempted by the most tyranny of al the Bishops of R. without the great offence of the Bishop And as for the rest considering that none of his Predecessors this hundred years did visit thus his Province and therfore no man Living can know this by experience it had been necessary for the Archbp. to have shewed books for the proof of these his sayings and pretences Which he and his Officers being therunto desired as wel before the Visitation as sithence ever did refuse and deferr to do Item It is to be remembred that in case it shal appear in any Book of the AB that his Predecessors have attempted any of the Premisses First that his Predecessors were Legates and though they did visit jure Metropolitico yet they might peradventure as Legates attempt some things which they had had no right nor colour to do if they had be only Metropolitans and Primates Secondarily In this behalf and case it is to be remembred that many of those Archbps. of Canterbury were not only Legates but also Chancellors of England By the which authority they peradventure did enforce and maintain many things attempted against the Law as the late Cardinal did And therfore it is to be dissevered what they did as Legates and what as Metropolitans and what by force after repealed and what by right peaceably enjoyed And not to now jure Metropolitico such things as were done by his Predecessors as Legates nor to chalenge prescription now the authority of the See of Rome is repealed and here extinguished in such things as were attempted only by the pretext of the authority of that See or else after were appealed repealed or resisted Thirdly In This cause it is to be remembred that it appears by the ancient Registers of the Bishops and their Churches that when the Predecessors of the AB did attempt any of these causes aforesaid the Bishops and their Clergies did appeal to the See of Rome And divers times they obtained sentences and executions against him and some remained undecided by the reason of the death of the AB or Bp. complainant for remedy and redress of the same In like maner as we your faithful Subjects have now for this our grief appeled unto your Majesty Item It is to be considered Whether any Metropolitan in other Christen realmes being now Legate doth exercise the premisses after the form now here pretended in his Visitation And in case they do not as it is said they do not attempt any such things but only in their Visitations Provincial useth that the Common Law giveth them then here to be repealed and extinguished for ever To the intent that the Bishops of R. hereafter shal have no color to maintain and justify that they keep here yet and continue the possession of their authority and of our subjection by their Legate Saying that although the AB doth relinquish the name of a Legate yet nevertheless he exerciseth such jurisdiction as the Laws never gave to Metropolitans nor no AB in Christendome doth exercise Legates of the See of R. only excepted And therfore it is to be provided that no sparks remain wherby he might suscitate any such flame if the matter should come in question Finally It is to be remembred that the Bishops nor their Clergies do not refuse to accept and obey the Visitation of the AB as Metropolitan and to pay to him proxies due and accustomed But where the Bishops hath not only the common Laws but also Bulls and Sentences executed against his Predecessors and that long before the making of the Statutes against Provisions declaring what sums he shal not pass for the Proxies of their Churches the Officers of the AB demandeth much more
know nothing can pass by the Parlament more to the establishment of her Highnes State both afore God and man then the sure establishing of these two And for this cause whatsoever lacketh to the establishing therof me seemeth I am bound to utter plainly to her G. and truly to say what doth not satisfy me in those Acts my whole satisfaction depending of the fruit that may redound to her G. and the realm when they shal be perfectly concluded And therfore herein you shal not let pass to enform her G. pleasing the same to give you benign audience as wel wherin they were not to my utter satisfaction as also wherin they satisfied me and brought me some comfort And first of al how the former Act of the ratifying of the Matrimony seemed unto me much defectuous in that the Parlament taking for chief grouâ—d the Wisdome and Goodnes of the Parents of both parties in making the Matrimony doth not follow that wisdome in the conclusion and establishing of the same Their wisdome in making it was that they thought not sufficient to conclude the Matrimony notwithstanding the consent of the parties unles by the Popes dispensation and authority of the See Apostolic the impediments of conjunction named in the lawes of the Church were taken away and it so made legitimate And hereof the Act of Parlament that would justify the same with derogation of another Act made to the condemnation of that Matrimony maketh no mention Which me seemeth as great a defect as if one should take a cause to defend which hath divers causes al concurrent to one effect wherof the one dependeth upon the other and one being principal of al the other and would in defence therof name the other causes and leave out the principal For so it is in the case of the Matrimony the consent of the parties and parents depended upon the Dispensation of the church and the See of Rome Without the which the wisdom of the Parents did not think it could be wel justified as the effect did shew in demanding the same and this is that which now is left out in the justification that the Parents have made alledging the wisdome of the two Parents the Kings of England and of Spain And if it be here said as I understand some do say that the Dispensation was asked of those Princes not because it was so necessary that the marriage could not be justified without that but as they say ad majorem cautelam how this answer cannot stand to that effect I have so sufficiently informed you that you of your self I doubt not without further declaration by writing can expound the same Therfore leaving that to your memory and capacity to fly multiplication oâ— writing this only I wil put you in remembrance of that if the Dispensation of the Pope in that matter was asked of those two Princes ad majorem cautelam which was to stop al mens mouths making pretence of justice that might have been brought forth or objected against the Matrimony unles this Dispensation had been obtained at the least for this cause in this Act should also have been made mention of the Dispensation following the wisdome of those Princes ad majorem cautelam being now more fear of pretenced justice against the Matrimony as the effect hath and doth shew then ever could be imagined by the wit of those Princes when they obtained first the Dispensation As touching the other Act of the Confirmation of the Sacraments ye shal shew also wherin it seems to me defective Which is that wheras the ground of the making therof as the Act doth express is taken to redress the temerity of them who being affected to nuelty of opinion did other take them away or abuse the administration of them against the antient and laudable custom of the Catholick church This being a very necessary and pious cause to make that Act in the prosecuting and concluding of the same I find this great defect that never being approbate by the Church that those persons which remain in Schisma should have the right use of the Sacraments but rather to such is interdict the use of them This Act maketh the gate open to them that be not yet entred into the Unity of the Church to the use of the Sacraments declaring it self how they should be mâ—nistred with relation to the time and year of that King and nameing him that is known to be the chief author of the Schism What defect this is it seemeth manifest of it self This shewed wherin both these Acts were defectuous and therby not bringing me ful comfort ye shal then expound wherin at the reading of them I took some comfort Which was that the conclusion of both was passed graunted and inacted by the Parlament So that touching the effect there could be no difficulty hereafter in the Parlament the same being now bound to the approving and observance of their own Act. And wherin they were defectuous this ought to be supplyed by the Princes Authority that is to say by her G.'s authority as right Queen To whom it appertaineth as chief head of the Parlament and of the whole realm withal in al Acts that the Parlament doth determe both to interpret that that is obscure and to supply and make perfect that which is defectuous as wel in the time of the Parlâ—ment as when it is dissolved So that now these both Acts being past by the Parlament they are brought to her G.'s hand to interpret and supply as it shal be judged by her G.'s wisdom how they may best take effect And to do the same other out of the time of Parlament or in another Parlament binding them by their own decre ratifying the mariage and the use of the Sacraments according to the form of the Catholic church to admit the authority of the See of Rome Which not admitted nother the one Act nor the other can take effect And admitting and establishing of the same both those Acts by this one reason wherin is comprized the reduction of the realm to the unity of the Church shal be established and made perfect For conclusion of al this ye shal inform her G. that as I consider daily the wonderful goodnes of God to her Highnes with al paternal care of her soul person and estate and his so manifest protection every day and by so many ways calling her G. to establish this unity of the Church in the realm wherof the breaking hath been cause of so great misery in the realm both spiritual and temporal with travail temporal of her M. and utter jeopardy of loosing her State So also I do consider what wayes the enemy of mankind Satan Qui expetivit cribrare â—cclesiam tanquam triticum hath used and continually usâ—th to let that her G. cannot put in execution that wherunto God continually doth cal her I dare be bold to say in this particular case that that the Apostle saith generally speaking of Satans
requite the same I have written lettres unto my Lorde of Northumberlande declarynge unto hym the cause of my staye in the Commission which is bicause that al the gentylmen and Justices of the peace of Kent which be in commission with me be now at London Bifore whos 's comynge home if I sholde procede without them I myght perchaunce travel in vayne and take more payne than I sholde do good I have written also unto hym in the favour of Michael Angelo whose cause I pray you to helpe so moche as lieth in you The Sophy and the Turke themperor and the French kynge not moch better in religion than they rollynge the stone or turnynge the whele of fortune up and downe I pray God send us peace and quyetnes with al realmes as wel as among our selfes and to preserve the Kyngs majestie with al his councill Thus fare you wel From my howse of Forde the xx day of November Anno 1552. Your assured T. Cant. NUM CVIII Signifying his desire to have the good will of the Lord Warden his neighbour To my lovyng frende Sir William Cecill Knyght Secretary to the Kings Majestie Yeve thies AFter my harty commendations and thanks for your letters ther is no man more loth to be in contention with any man than I am specially with my Lorde Warden my nere neighbour dwellynge both in one contray and whose familier and entier frendeshippe I most desier for the quyetnes of the hole contray For the example of the rulers and heades wil the people and membres followe And as towchynge learned men I shal sende you my mynde with as moch expedition as I can which by this poste I can not do evyn in the colde snowe sittynge opon coles untyl he be gone But hartely fare you wel in the Lorde Iesus From Forde the last day of November Your Lovynge frende T. Cant. NUM CIX Desiring Cecyl to enform him of the cause of Chekes indictment To my very Lovynge frende Sir William Cecyl Knight AFter my very harty recommendâ—tions Yester nyght I harde reported that Mr. Cheke is indited I pray you hartely if you know any thynge therof to sende me knowledge and wheruppon he is indited I had grete trust that he sholde be one of them that sholde fele the Queens grete mercie and pardon as one who hath been none of the grete doers in this matier agaynst her and my trust is not yet gone excepte it be for his ernestnes in religion For the which if he suffre blâ—ssed is he of god that suffreth for his sake howsoever the worlde juge of hym For what ought we to care for the jugement of the worlde whan god absolveth us But alas if any means cowde be made for hym or for my Lorde Russel it were not to be omitted nor in any wise neglected But I am utterly destitute both of counseil in this matter and of power being in the same condemnation that they be But that onely thynge which I can do I shal not ceasse to do and that is only to pray from theym and for my selfe with al other that be now in adversity Whan I saw you at the courâ—e I wolde fayne have talked with you but I durst not nevertheless if you cowde fynde a tyme to come over to me I wolde gladly commen with you Thus fare you hartely well with my Lady your wife From Lamhith this 14 day of this month of August Your own assured T. Cant. FINIS READER MY Reverend Friend Mr. Wharton as he formerly Encouraged and Assisted me in the Foregoing History hath also further obliged me by the Perusal of it and by communicating to me his Ingenious and Learned Observations and Animadversions thereupon which do highly deserve to be made more Publick and therefore are here gladly added by me together with his Letter as a Supplement to my Book for the Reader 's Benefit To the Reverend Mr. STRYPE SIR AT the Desire of Mr. Chiswell our Common Friend I have perused your Memorials of Archbishop Cranmer not without great Satisfaction being much pleased to see the Actions of that Excellent Prelate and the Affairs of the Reformation of our Church happily begun and carried on in his Time and by his Conduct disposed in so clear a Method I have not been able to make my Observations upon it with that Exactness and Fulness which I desired and you may perhaps expect being at this time placed at a very great distance from all my Papers and Collections and not enjoying the use even of such Printed Books as would be necessary to this Design So that I have been forced to pass by very many Places of your History wherein I have suspected some Error to have been committed but could not either confirm or remove my Suspicion for want of farther present Evidence However I have noted several Places which at first Reading appeared Suspicious and after farther Consideration were judged Erroneous by me altho even in some of those Places I have only Pointed at the Error not being able always to rectify it without the Assistance of Books and Papers whereof I am now wholly destitute Be pleased to accept of my Performance herein with that Candor wherewith I read your Book and made the following Observations since I willingly profess That the commission of Errors in writing any History especially of times past being altogether unavoidable ought not to detract from the Credit of the History or Merit of the Historian unless it be accompanied with Immoderate Ostentation or Vnhandsome Reflections upon the Errors of others from which Imputation that Indifference and Candor which appear throughout your whole Work wholly exempt you altho no History of those Matters or Times which I have seen be wrote with equal Exactness PAGE 16. Line 4. It is the sense of an Ingenious and Learned Friend of mine That the pretended Martyr Thomas Becket tho he died in Vindication of the Privileges of the Church yet he was the First Betrayer of the Rights of his See viz. of Canterbury He made the greatest Breach upon the Authority of the Primacy of Canterbury by resigning the Archbishoprick into the Pope's hands and receiving it again from him as the Pope's Donation Thomas Becket was not the First nor the Chief Betrayer of the Rights of the See of Canterbury The first and greatest Breach upon the Authority of the Primacy of that See was made by his Predecessor William de Corboil Thirty seven years before who after he had been fully Invested in the Archbishoprick of Canterbury by due Authority solicited and accepted the Bulls of Pope Honorius conferring it upon him as by Papal Gift and other Bulls constituting him the Pope's Legate in England whereby he subjected his own See and the Church of England to the Authority of the See of Rome which were before wholly independent of it Page 21. line 21. The Twelfth Article of Cranmer's Judgment of the Unlawfulness of K. Henry's Marriage is this We think that
CHAP. XXIV The Archbishop's care of the Revenues of the Church Bucer dies The Archbishop labours to preserve the Revenues of the Church The detaining the Church-Revenues a Scandal to the Reformation Calvin to the Archbishop upon this matter And to the Duke of Somerset Bucer publickly disputeth at Cambridge Dieth The University wrote up concerning his Death Bucer's Library His Widow retires to Germany The Correspondence between him and Martyr A Plot of the Papists at Oxon against Martyr at an Act. Martyr's Judgment of the Communion-Book Bucer's great dangers Poynet Consecrated and Hoper CHAP. XXV The Archbishop publisheth his Book against Gardiner Cranmer publisheth his Book of the Sacrament His first Book of that Subject Wrote against by Gardiner and Smith Vindicated in another Book by the Archbishop The Method of the Archbishop's Reply The Judgments made of this Book How the Archbishop came off from the Opinion of the Corporal Presence The Archbishop's great Skill in Controversy Peter Mâ—rtyr enlightned by Cranmer Fox's Conjecture of the Archbishop A second Book of Gardiner against the Archbishop The Archbishop begins a third Book Martyr takes up the Quarrel Cranmer puts out his Book of the Sacrament in Latin Printed again at Embden Cranmer's second Book intended to be â—ut into Latin Some Notes of Cranmer concerning the Sacrament Martyr succeeds Cranmer in this Province Writes against Gardiner And Smith CHAP. XXVI The Duke of Somerset 's Death The Duke of Somerset's Death Winchester suppos'd to be in the Plot. Articles against the Duke What he is blamed for The new Book of Common-Prayer established Coverdale made Bishop of Exon. Scory Bishop Elect of Rochester The Archbishop appoints a Guardian of the Spiritualties of Lincoln And of Wigorn And of Chichester And of Hereford And of Bâ—ngor Hoper visits his Diocess Two Disputations concerning the Sacrament Dr. Redman dies The Archbishop and others appointed to reform Ecclesiastical Laws The method they observed Scory Coverdale Consecrated CHAP. XXVII The Articles of Religion The Articles of Religion framed and published The Archbishop's diligence in them The Archbishop retires to Ford. CHAP. XXVIII Persons nominated for Irish Bishopricks Consulted with for fit Persons to fill the Irish Sees Some account of the four Divines nominated by him for the Archbishoprick of Armagh Mr. Whitehead Mr. Turner Thomas Rosse or Rose Robert Wisdom The Character the Archbishop gave of the two former Turner designed for Armagh But declines it Goodacre made Archbishop of Armagh Letters from the Council to Ireland recommending the Irish Bishops CHAP. XXIX The Archbishop charged with Covetousness A Rumour given out of the Archbishop's Covetousness and Wealth Which Cecyl sends him word of The Archbishop's Answer for himself and the other Bishops This very slander raised upon him to K. Henry K. Henry promised him Lands This Promise performed by K. Edward His Purchases The Archbishoprick fleeced by K. Henry Lands past away to the Crown by Exchange Lands made over to the Archbishop The Archbishop parted also with Knol and Otford to the King What moved him to make these Exchanges His Cares and Fears for the King CHAP. XXX His care for the Vacancies Falls sick His Care for filling the Vacancies of the Church Laboured under an Ague this Autumn The great Mortality of Agues about this time That which most concerned him in his Sickness The Secretary sends the Archbishop the Copy of the Emperor's Pacification CHAP. XXXI His Kindness for Germany His Kindness for Germany His Correspondence with Germany And with Herman Archbishop of Colâ—n The suitableness of both these Archbishops Dispositions Their diligence in Reforming CHAP. XXXII Troubles of Bishop Tonstal The Troubles of Bishop Tonstal The Causes of this Bishop's Punishment A Bill in Parliament to attaint Tonstal The Care of the Diocess committed to the Dean CHAP. XXXIII The New Common-Prayer The Archbishop in Kent The New Common-Prayer began to be used This Book put into French for the King's French Subjects The Age still vicious A new Sect in Kent The Archbishop's business in Kent A Letter for Installing Bishop Hoper The Vicar of Beden Sampson and Knox. The Council favour Knox. Iohn Taylor Consecrated CHAP. XXXIV A Catechism The Archbishop opposeth the Exclusion of the Lady Mary Great use made of the Archbishop at Council The Articles of Religion enjoined by the King's Authority The Catechism for Schools A Catechism set forth by the Synod The Archbishop opposeth the New Settlement of the Crown Denyeth before the Council to subscribe to the Exclusion of the Lady Mary Sets his hand The Archbishop ungratefully dealt with The Council subscribe and swear to the Limited Succession CHAP. XXXV The King dies The King dies His Character The Archbishop delights in this Prince's Proficiency K. Edward's Writings The King 's Memorial for Religion The Archbishop frequent at Council His Presence in the Council in the year 1550. In the year 1551. In the year 1552. And 1553. Iohn Harley Consecrated Bishop BOOK III. CHAP. I. Queen Mary soon recognized The Archbishop slandered and imprisoned THE Archbishops and Counsellors concern with the Lady Iane. They declare for Q. Mary And write to Northumberland to lay down his Arms. The Queen owned by the Ambassadors The Archbishop misreported to have said Mass. Mass at Canterbury Which he makes a Publick Declaration against The Declaration Appears before the Commissioners at Pâ—uls And before the Council The Archbishop of York committed to the Tower and his Goods seized At Battersea At Cawood Gardiner's passage of the two Archbishops CHAP. II. Protestant Bishops and Clergy cast into Prisons and deprived This Reign begins with Rigor The Protestant Bishops deprived The hard usage of the Inferior Clergy Professors cast into the Mâ—rshalsea Winchester's Alms. P. Martyr writes of this to Calvin The state of the Church now The Queen leaves all matters to Winchester The Queen Crowned The Service still said The Queen's Proclamation of her Religion Signs of a Change of Religion CHAP. III. The Archbishop adviseth Professors to fly The Archbishop adviseth to flight Cranmer will not fly Whither the Professors fly And who Duke of Northumberland put to Death His Speech Sir Iohn Gates his Speech And Palmer's The Duke lâ—bours to get his life Whether he was always a Papist CHAP. IV. Peter Martyr departs A Parliament P. Martyr departs Malice towards him A Scandal of the Queen A Parliament The Parliament repeal Q. Katherine's Divorce And Cranmer taxed for it CHAP. V. The Archbishop attainted The Archbishop attainted of Treason The Dean of Canterbury acts in the Vacancy The Archbishop sues for Pardon of Treason Obtains it He desires to open his mind to the Queen concerning Religion CHAP. VI. A Convocation A Convocation How it opened The Archbishop and three more crowded together in the Tower CHAP. VII The Queen sends to Cardinal Pole The Queen sends to Pole The Contents of her Letters Concerning the
stuff their Histories with strange Prophecies and Falshoods mixed with some Truth And I suppose the Matter might be no more than this This grave and sober Arch-Bishop was sensible of the gross Encroachments of the Bishops of Rome upon the Authority of the Kings of this Realm in their own Dominions and his Judgment stood for the restoring of this Imperial Crown to its antient Right and Soveraignty and for the abridging the Papal Power And knowing how learned a Man Dr. Thomas Cranmer was and perceiving what an able Instrument he was like to prove in vindicating the King 's Right to the Supremacy in his own Kingdoms the Arch-Bishop upon these Accounts might think him the fittest to succeed in the Archiepiscopal Chair and might have some reason to believe that the King intended him thereunto And that Arch-Bishop Warham was of this Judgment it may appear if we trace some Footsteps of him In the Year 1530 when all the Clergy were under a Praemunire and a Petition was drawing up in the Convocation for that Cause the King in the said Petition was addressed to by the Title of Supream Head of the Church and Clergy of England At this Title when the Arch-Bishop found some of the Clergy to boggle who were yet afraid openly to declare their disallowance of it he took the opportunity of their Silence to pass the Title by saying That Silence was to be taken for their Consent In the last Synod wherein this Arch-Bishop was a Member and the main Director many things were debated about Abolishing the Papacy This Synod was prorogued from April 26 to October 5. In the mean time he died But had he lived and been well unto the next Sessions some further Steps had been made in evacuating the Bishop of Rome's Usurpations as may be guessed by what was done under his influence the last Sessions when the Supremacy of that foreign Prelate was rejected Something more of this Arch-Bishop's Endeavours of restoring the King to his Supremacy appears by what Arch-Bishop Cranmer said to Brooks Bishop of Glocester before a great Assembly not long before his Burning Brooks had charged him for first setting up the King's Supremacy To which Cranmer replied That it was Warham gave the Supremacy to Henry VIII and that he had said he ought to have it before the Bishop of Rome and that God's Word would bear it And that upon this the Universities of Cambridg and Oxford were sent to to know what the Word of God would allow touching the Supremacy Where it was reasoned and argued upon at length and at last both agreed and and set to their Seals and sent it to the King That he ought to be Supreme Head and not the Pope All which was in Arch-Bishop Warham's Time and while he was alive three quarters of a Year before ever Cranmer had the Arch-Bishoprick of Canterbury as he also added in that Audience So that these things considered we may conclude that Warham did think that none would be so fit to come after him as Cranmer a Learned and diligent Man to carry on this Cause which he before him had begun and so might speak of him as the properest Person to be advanced to this See To this I will add the Sense of an Ingenious and Learned Friend of mine concerning this Passage in Harpsfield's History Which the Author also of the Athenae Oxonienses hath made use of to the good Arch-Bishop's Discredit and which Somner also had unluckily selected though without design to hurt his good Name and is all he writes of him But may it not be considered saith he that the pretended Martyr Thomas Becket though he died in vindication of the Privileges of the Church yet he was the first betrayer of the Rights of his See He made the greatest Breach upon the Authority of the Primacy of Canterbury by resigning the Arch-Bishoprick into the Pope's Hands and receiving it again from him as the Pope's Donation But it is the Honour of the blessed Martyr Thomas Cranmer that he was the first who began to claim the Primacy and retrieve the Rights of his See from being slavishly subjected to the Roman Power Indeed little credit is to be given to the Author who first published this Story considering what a Violent Man he was and how much prejudiced against Cranmer and interessed in the Popish Cause and coming into the Arch-Deaconry of Canterbury by the deprivation of the Arch-Bishop's Brother Cranmer Noluit Episcopari had no mind to be Arch-Bishop He loved his Studies and affected Retirement and well knew the Dangers and Temptations of a publick Station But especially he could not induce his Mind to take his Office from the Pope and to swear Fidelity to him as well as to the King whereby he should ensnare himself in two contrary Oaths Wherefore when the King sent for him home from his Embassy in Germany with a design to lay that honourable Burden upon him he guessing the Reason first endeavoured to delay his coming by signifying to the King some Matters of Importance that would require his tarrying there somewhat longer for the King's Service Hoping in that while the King might have bestowed the Place upon some other In fine our Historians say he stayed abroad one half Year longer But I find him in England in the Month of November which was not much more than a quarter of a Year after Warham's Death Then the King was married to the Marchioness of Pembroke and Cranmer was present So that the King must have sent for him home in Iune two or three Months before the Arch-Bishop's Death probably while he was in a declining dying Condition But after when that which Cranmer seemed to suspect of certain Emergences in those parts wherein the English State might be concerned fell not out the King again commanded his return Home Now more perfectly knowing by some of his Friends the King's Intentions to make him Arch-Bishop he made means by divers of his Friends to shift it off desiring rather some smaller Living At length the King brake his Mind to him that it was his full Purpose to bestow that Dignity upon him for his Service and for the good Opinion he conceived of him But his long disabling himself nothing disswaded the King till at last he humbly craved the King's Pardon for that he should declare to him and that was That if he should accept it he must receive it at the Pope's Hand which he neither would nor could do for that his Highness was the only Supream Governour of the Church of England as well in Causes Ecclesiastical as Temporal and that the full Right of Donation of all manner of Benefices and Bishopricks as well as any other temporal Dignities and Promotions appertained to him and not to any other Foreign Authority And therefore if he might serve God him and his Countrey in that Vocation he would accept it of his Majesty and of no Stranger
it a Matter of Conscience and Sin to abandon their Titles Also that it might tend to stop the Emperor's Mouth and the Mouths of other their Friends when Fisher and More who had stickled so much for them should now own that Succession which would be in effect a disowning of them Secondly That it might be a means to resolve and quiet also many others in the Realm that were in doubt when such great Men should affirm by Oath and Subscription that the Succession mentioned in the said Act was good and according to God's Laws And he thought that after two such had sworn there would be scarce one in the Kingdom would reclaim against it And thirdly That though a great many in the Realm could not be brought to alter from their Opinions of the Validity of the King 's former Marriage and of the Bishop of Rome's Authority that it would be a great Point gained if all with one accord would own and acknowledg the Succession Weaver the Author of the Funeral Monuments transcribed this Letter out of the Cotton Library and inserted it into his said Book and the thing he takes notice of therein is the Wisdom and Policy of the prudent Arch-bishop I shall take notice of another thing and which I suppose was the great Cause that employed his Pen at this time namely his tender Heart and abhorrence from Blood-shedding Propounding these Politick Considerations to the Secretary which were the properest Arguments to be used with a Statesman and for him to use and urge before the King that so he might be an Instrument of saving the Lives of these Men however they differed from him and it may be were none of his very good Friends This Letter of the Arch-bishop's as I my self took it from the Original I thought worthy depositing among Cranmer's Monuments in the Appendix But this Offer of theirs notwithstanding the Arch-bishop's Arguments and Endeavours would not be accepted The King would not be satisfied with this Swearing by halves CHAP. VII The Arch-bishop visits the Diocess of Norwich THE Popish Bishops were now at a low ebb and being under the Frowns of their Prince other Men took the opportunities upon their Slips to get them punished A Storm now fell upon Richard Nix Bishop of Norwich a vitious and dissolute Man as Godwin writes Against him was a Premunire this Year 25 of Hen. VIII brought That De tout temps there had been a Custom in the Town of Thetford in the County of Norfolk that no Inhabitant of the same Town should be drawn in Plea in any Court Christian for any Spiritual Causes but before the Dean in the said Town And there was a Presentment in the King's Court before the Mayor of the Town by twelve Jurors that there was such a Custom And beside that whosoever should draw any Man out of the said Town in any Spiritual Court should forfeit six shillings and eight pence The Bishop nevertheless cited the Mayor to appear before him pro Salute animae And upon his appearance libelled for that Cause and enjoined him upon pain of Excommunication not to admit the said Presentment And whenas the Bishop could not deny his Fact Judgment was given that he should be out of the King's Protection his Goods and Chattels forfeited and his Body in Prison during the King's Pleasure For which he had the King's Pardon Which was afterwards confirmed in Parliament This Bishop's Diocess was now in such disorder that the Arch-bishop instituted a Visitation of that See wherein William May LL. D. was the Arch-bishop's Commissary The 28 th of Iuly the Bishop was called and summoned to appear but appeared not And so was pronounced Contumax But at another meeting he sent Dr. Cap his Proctor by whom he made a Protestation against their Doings and Jurisdiction and that it was not decent for that Reverend Father to appear before him the Arch-bishop's Official However at another meeting the Bishop not appearing at the Time and Place appointed Dr. May declared him obstinate and to incur the Penalty of Obstinacy After this the Bishop by his Proctor was willing to submit to obey Law and to stand to the Command of the Church and to do Penance for his said Contumacy to be enjoined by the Arch-bishop or his Commissary At another Court the Bishop appeared in Person and then shewed himself willing to take the said Commissary for Visitor or any other in the Name of the Arch-bishop of Canterbury This Bishop was now fourscore Years old and blind as appears by a Writing of his sent by his Proctor dated Septemb. 1534. He died two Years after and came in to be Bishop in the Year 1500. This Bishop seems to have made himself very odious in his Diocess by his Fierceness and Rigors against such as were willing to be better informed in Religion whom he would stile Men savouring of the Frying-pan He seized such Books as were brought from beyond-Sea of which sort there were now many which tended to lay open the Corruptions of the Church and especially the New Testament which he could not endure should be read And when some of these commonly gave out that it was the King's Pleasure that such Books should be read he sent up studiously by the Abbot of Hyde to have this shewed to the King and begged his Letters under his Seal to be directed to him or any body else whom the King pleased in his Diocess to declare it was not his Pleasure such Books should be among his Subjects and to punish such as reported it was He sent also a Letter to Warham then Arch-bishop of Canterbury making his Complaint and Information to him desiring him to send for the said Abbot who should tell him what his Thoughts were for the suppression of these Men and intreating the Arch-bishop to inform the King against these erroneous Men as he called them Some part of his Diocess was bounded with the Sea and Ipswich and Yarmouth and other Places of considerable Traffick were under his Jurisdiction And so there happened many Merchants and Mariners who by Converse from Abroad had received knowledg of the Truth and brought in divers good Books This mightily angred the zealous Bishop and he used all the Severity he could to stop the Progress of Evangelical Truth and wished for more Authority from the King to punish it for his Opinion was that if they continued any time he thought they would undo them all as he wrote to the Arch-bishop This Letter is in the Appendix Bishops Consecrated April the 19 th the Arch-bishop of Canterbury invested in his Pontificals consecrated Thomas Goodrick Doctor of Decrees Bishop of Ely in his Chappel at Croydon together with Rowland Lee Doctor of Law Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry and Iohn Salcot alias Capon Doctor of Law Bishop of Bangor being assisted by Iohn Bishop of Lincoln and Christopher Bishop of Sidon CHAP. VIII The Arch-bishop preacheth
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
themselves a decent Cope as every Suffragan of the Church of Canterbury according as his Profession was ought to give to the same Church by Right and ancient Custom and the Rights Liberties Privileges and other Customs of the said Church always and in all things being safe The renewing of this their old pretended Privilege look'd like some check to the Arch-bishop and as though they required of him a sort of dependence on them now more than before and it shewed some secret Ill-will towards him which brake out more openly not long after as we shall shew in the Process of our Story In the Register is also recorded Boner's Oath of Fidelity to the King against the Bishop of Rome Which I will add here that Men may see with what little Affection to the Pope this Man was let into the Bishoprick which he afterwards made so much use of for him and his Usurpations though thereby he stands upon Record for ever for Perjury But the Oath was this Ye shall never consent nor agree that the Bishop of Rome shall practise exercise or have any manner of Authority Jurisdiction or Power within this Realm or any other the King's Dominions but that ye shall resist the same at all times to the uttermost of your Power And that from henceforth ye shall accept repute and take the King's Majesty to be the only Supream Head in Earth of the Church of England c. So help you God and all Saints and the Holy Evangelists Signed thus ✚ In fidem praemissorum Ego Edm. Boner Elect. Confirmat Londoniens huic praesenti chart a subscripsi By the Arch-bishop's Letters bearing date May 20. he made Robert Harvey B. LL. his Commissary in Calais and in all the other Neighbouring Places in France being his Diocess A Man surely wherein the good Arch-bishop was mistaken or else he would never have ventured to set such a Substitute of such bigotted cruel Principles in that place This Harvey condemned a poor labouring Man of Calais who said he would never believe that any Priest could make the Lord's Body at his pleasure Whereupon he was accused before the Commissary who roundly condemned him to be burnt inveighing against him and saying He was an Heretick and should die a vile Death The poor Man said He should die a viler shortly And so it came to pass for half a Year after he was hang'd drawn and quartered for Treason He seemed to have succeded in the room of a Man of better Principles called Sir Iohn Butler Who was deprived of his Commissariship by some Bishops Commissioners from the King for the examining several Persons suspect of Religion in Calais The Council there had about the Year 1539 complained of him as a maintainer of Damplip a learned and pious Preacher there So he was sent for into England and charged to favour Damplip because he preached so long there and was not restrained nor punish'd by him He answered warily and prudently that the Lord Lisle Lord Deputy and his Council entertained and friendly used him and countenanced him by hearing him preach so that he could not do otherwise than he did After long attendance upon the King's Commissioners he was discharged and returned home but discharged also of his Commissary's place too And having been an Officer of the Arch-bishop's I will add a word or two more concerning him About the Year 1536 he was apprehended in Calais and bound by Sureties not to pass the Gates of that Town upon the Accusation of two Souldiers that he should have said in contempt of the Corporal Presence That if the Sacrament of the Altar be Flesh Blood and Bone then there is good Aqua vitae at John Spicer's Where probably was very bad This Butler and one Smith were soon after brought by Pursevants into England and there brought before the Privy-Council in the Star-Chamber for Sedition and Heresy which were Charges ordinarily laid against the Professors of the Gospel in those Times and thence sent to the Fleet and brought soon after to Bath-place there sitting Clark Bishop of Bath Sampson Bishop of Chichester and Reps Bishop of Norwich the King's Commissioners And no wonder he met with these Troubles For he had raised up the hatred of the Friars of Calais against him by being a Discoverer and Destroyer of one of their gross Religious Cheats There had been great talk of a Miracle in S. Nicolas Church for the conviction of Men that the Wafer after Consecration was indeed turned into the Body Flesh and Bones of Christ. For in a Tomb in that Church representing the Sepulchre there were lying upon a Marble Stone three Hosts sprinkled with Blood and a Bone representing some Miracle This Miracle was in writing with a Pope's Bull of Pardon annexed to those I suppose that should visit that Church There was also a Picture of the Resurrection bearing some relation to this Miracle This Picture and Story Damplip freely spake against in one of his Sermons saying that it was but an Illusion of the French before Calais was English Upon this Sermon the King also having ordered the taking away all superstitious Shrines there came a Commission to the Lord Deputy of Calais to this Sir Iohn Butler the Arch-bishop's Commissary and one or two more that they should search whether this were true and if they found it not so that immediately the Shrine should be plucked down and so it was For breaking up a Stone in the corner of the Tomb instead of the three Hosts the Blood and the Bone they found souldered in the Cross of Marble lying under the Sepulchre three plain white Counters which they had painted like unto Hosts and a Bone that is in the tip of a Sheep's Tail This Damplip shewed the next Day being Sunday unto the People and after that they were sent to the King by the Lord Deputy But this so angred the Friars and their Creatures that it cost Damplip his Life and Commissary Butler much trouble and the loss of his Office After Harvey Hugh Glazier B. D. and Canon of Christ's-Church Canterbury succeeded in the Office of Commissary to the Arch-bishop fo◠Calais He was once a Friar but afterwards favoured the Reformation He was put up to preach at Paul's Cross the first Lent after King Edward came to the Crown and then asserted the observation of Lent to be but of human Institution This Year the Cathedral Church of Canterbury was altered from Monks to Secular Men of the Clergy viz. Prebendaries or Canons Petticanons Choristers and Scholars At this Erection were present Thomas Cranmer Arch-bishop the Lord Rich Chancellor of the Court of the Augmentation of the Revenues of the Crown Sir Christopher Hales Knight the King's Attorney Sir Anthony Sentleger Knight with divers other Commissioners And nominating and electing such convenient and fit Persons as should serve for the Furniture of the said Cathedral Church according to the
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
Sobriety and Diligence in their Vocation and the People to Loyalty and Obedience to the King and the sincere worshipping of God Concerning the Priests he ordered enquiry to be made Whether they preached four times a Year against the usurped Power of the Bishop of Rome and in behalf of the King's Power and Authority within his own Realms Whether in their Common-Prayers they used not the Collects made for the King and mentioned not his Majesty's Name in the same Whether they had destroyed and taken away out of the Churches all Images and Shrines Tables Candlesticks Trindals or Rolls of Wax and all other Monuments of feigned Miracles Idolatry and Superstition and moved their Parishioners to do the same in their own Houses Enquiries were made concerning their due Administration of the Sacraments concerning their preaching God's Word once at least in a Quarter and then exhorting their Parishioners to Works commanded by Scripture and not to Works devised by Mens Fancies as wearing and praying upon Beads and such-like Concerning the plain reciting the Lord's Prayer the Creed and Ten Commandments in English immediately after the Gospel as often as there were no Sermon Concerning the examining of every one that came to Confession in Lent whether they were able to say the Creed the Lord's Prayer and Ten Commandments in English Concerning the having Learned Curats to be procured by such as were absent from their Benefices Concerning having the whole Bible of the largest Volume in every Church and Erasmus's Paraphrase in English Concerning teaching the People of the Nature of the Fast of Lent and other Days in the Year that it was but a mere positive Law Concerning Residence upon Benefices and keeping Hospitality Concerning finding a Scholar in the Universities oâ— some Grammar-School incumbent on such Priests as had an hundred pounds a Year Concerning moving the Parishioners to pray rather in English than in a Tongue unknown and not to put their Trust in saying over a number of Beads Concerning having the New Testament in Latin and English and Erasmus's Paraphrase which all Priests under the Degree of Batchelors in Divinity were examined about Concerning putting out of the Church-Books the Name of Papa and the Name and Service of Thomas Becket and the Prayers that had Rubricks containing Pardons and Indulgences And many the like Articles Which may be seen by him that will have recourse to them as they are printed in Bishop Sparrow's Collections Those Articles that related to the Laity were Concerning the Letters or Hinderers of the Word of God read in English or preached sincerely Concerning such as went out of the Church in time of the Litany or Common-Prayer or Sermon Concerning ringing Bells at the same time Concerning such as abused the Ceremonies as casting Holy Water upon their Beds bearing about them Holy Bread S. Iohn's Gospel keeping of private Holy-days as Taylors Bakers Brewers Smiths Shoemakers c. did Concerning the misbestowing of Money arising from Cattel or other moveable Stocks of the Church as for finding of Lights Torches Tapers or Lamps and not employed to the poor Man's Chest. Concerning abusing Priests and Ministers Concerning praying upon the English Primer set forth by the King and not the Latin for such as understand not Latin Concerning keeping the Church-Holy-day and the Dedication-day any otherwise or at any other time than was appointed Concerning Commoning and Jangling in the Church at the time of reading the Common-Prayer or Homilies or when there was preaching Concerning maintenance of Error and Heresy Concerning common Swearers Drunkards Blasphemers Adulterers Bawds Enquiries were also to be made after such as were common Brawlers Slanderers such as used Charms Sorceries Inchantments and Witchcraft such as contemned their own Parish-Church and went else-where Concerning Marrying within the Degrees prohibited and without asking the Bannes Concerning the honest discharge of Wills and Testaments in such as were Executors or Administrators Concerning such as contemned married Priests and refused to receive the Communion and other Sacraments at their Hands Concerning such as kept in their own Houses Images Tables Pictures Painting or Monuments of fained Miracles undefaced c. In this Year also the Arch-bishop with the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury granted the Patronage Rectory c. of Riâ—eborough Monachorum in the County of Bucks to the Lord Windsor for fourscore and nineteen Years And in Exchange the said Lord granted to the Arch-bishop the Advouson Patronage and Nomination of Midley in Kent for the same duration of Years September the 9 th being Sunday Robert Farrar D. D. was Consecrated Bishop of S. Davids by Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury endued with his Pontificals and assisted by Henry Bishop of Lincoln and Nicolas Bishop of Rochester at Chertsey in the Diocess of Winton in the Arch-bishop's House there Then certain Hymns Psalms and Prayers being recited together with a Portion of Scripture read in the vulgar Tongue out of S. Paul's Epistles and the Gospel of S. Matthew the Arch-bishop celebrated the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. There communicated the Reverend Fathers Thomas Bishop of Ely Thomas Bishop of Westminster Henry Bishop of Lincoln Nicolas Bishop of Rochester and Farrar the new Bishop together with William May Dean of S. Pauls Simon Hains Dean of Exon Thomas Robertson and Iohn Redman Professors of Divinity and others The Arch-bishop then distributed the Communion in English Words This Bishop as it is writ in the Margin of the Register was the first that was consecrated upon the bare Nomination of the King according to the Statute that for that purpose was published in the first Year of his Reign The Form of the King's Letters Patents whereby he constituted Farrar Bishop is extant in the Register dated from Leghes August 1. in the second Year of his Reign At this Bishop of S. Davids I will stay a little proving unhappy by his Preferment unto a Church whose Corruptions while he endeavoured to correct he sunk under his commendable Endeavours He was an active Man and made much use of in Publick Affairs in K. Henry and K. Edward's Days having been first a Canon of S. Mary's in Oxon. He was with Bp Barlow when he was by K. Henry sent Ambassador to Scotland An. 1535. Another time employed in carrying old Books of great Value from S. Oswalds a dissolved Monastery as it seems unto the Arch-bishop of York And in the Royal Visitation in the beginning of King Edward he was one of the King's Visitors being appointed one of the Preachers for his great Ability in that Faculty And being Chaplain to the Duke of Somerset was by his means advanced to be Bishop and upon his Fall he fell into great Troubles This Bishop not long after his first entrance upon his Bishoprick resolved to visit his Diocess like a careful Pastor hearing of very great Corruptions in it and particularly among those that belonged to the Chapter of the Church of Carmarthen and chiefly Thomas
Young Chaunter after Arch-bishop of York who pulled down the great Hall in the Palace there for lucre of the Lead and Rowland Mericâ— one of the Canons after Bishop of the said See of S. Davids and Father to Sir Gilly Merick that came to an untimely Death by being in the Business of the Earl of Essex These two having been before Commissaries of this Diocess had spoiled the Cathedral Church of Crosses Chalices and Censors with other Plate Jewels and Ornaments to the value of five hundred Marks or more and converted them to their own private Benefit and had sealed many Blanks Sede Vacante without the King's Licence or Knowledg Whereupon the Bishop issued out his Commission to his Chancellor for visiting the Chapter as well as the rest of the Diocess But the Commission was it seems drawn up amiss by the said Chancellor to whom the Bishop left the forming the Draught For it ran in the old Popish Form and so the King's Supremacy not sufficiently acknowledged therein though he professed to visit in the King's Name and Authority This these two in Combination with his own ingrateful Register George Constantine whom he had preferred took their Advantage of not only to disobey the said Commission but to accuse the poor Bishop of a Praemunire For which he was sain to go down from London whither they had before brought him up to answer at the Assizes of Carmarthen And when by reason of the Molestations they gave him and their detaining him in London he could not be so exact in paying in the Tenths and First-Fruits and Subsidies due from the Clergy of his Diocess they took hold of this as another Crime to lay to his Charge And hereupon in fine he was kept in Prison a long time and so remained when Queen Mary entred upon the Government Upon which Occasion he fell into the Hands of the Pope's Butchers Who at last for maintaining the Truth sent him into his Diocess and burnt him at a Stake And thus these Men became the Instruments of his Death In their vexatious Suits against this good Bishop undertaken the better to conceal their own Faults our Arch-bishop seemed to be engaged giving too much credit to the ill Reports that Farrar's Enemies raised against him in a great heap of frivolous and malicious Articles exhibited to the King's Council Who appointed Sir Iohn Mason and Dr. VVotton to examine them Though I suppose our pious Arch-bishop afterwards saw through this Malice and forbore any further to give Influence to those that prosecuted this honest Man Understanding by Letters which that afflicted Man sent both to him and Bishop Goodrick Lord Chancellor his unjust Vexations wrought by his Adversaries One whereof I mean his Register remained Register to that very Popish Bishop that succeeded him nay and was assistant at his Trial and Condemnation In short hear what one writes that lived nearer those Times and might therefore be presumed to know more of these Matters This was a Conspiracy of his Enemies against him and of wicked Fellows who had robbed the Church kept Concubines falsified Records and committed many other gross Abuses To conclude I find by a private Letter written to Iohn Fox that these Men knowing how they had wronged the good Bishop came to him before his Death and asked him Forgiveness and he like a good Christian forgave them and was reconciled to them CHAP. X. The Arch-bishop answers the Rebels Articles THE Commons this Year brake out into a dangerous Rebellion and though they were once or twice appeased and scattered in some Places yet they made Insurrections in others And chiefly in Devon where they were very formidable for their Numbers The Reason they pretended was double The one was the Oppression of the Gentry in enclosing of their Commons from them The other the laying aside the old Religion which because it was Old and the Way their Forefathers worshipped God they were very fond of The Ld Russel Ld Privy-Seal who was sent against them offering to receive their Complaints the Rebels sent them to him drawn up under 15 Articles As before they had sent their Demands in seven Articles and a Protestation that they were the King 's Body and Goods In Answer to which the King sent a Message to them that may be seen in Fox They sent also a Supplication to the King To the which an Answer was made by the King 's Learned Counsel I shall take notice only of the fifteen Articles unto which our Arch-bishop drew up an excellent Answer at good length For no Man was thought so fit as he to open and unravel these Mens Requests and to unfold the unreasonableness of them and to shew what real Mischief they would pluck down upon themselves and the Nation should all the Decrees of our Forefathers and the Six Articles be revived again and what great Injury Religion would receive should the Latin Masses and Images and the worshipping the Sacrament and Purgatory and Abbies be restored and Cardinal Pole come Home and the English Bible be called in and such-like things which their Demands consisted of This Answer of the Arch-bishop I judg worthy preserving and therefore though somewhat long I have laid in the Appendix because it will shew his Wisdom Learning and the Knowledg of the State of the Kingdom that he was furnished with I met with these Writings in the Manuscript Librarary of Benet College being the rough Draught of them all under the Arch-bishop's own Hand He charged them with Ignorance in putting up such Articles And concluded them not to be their own Minds to have them granted had they understood them but that they were indeed devised by some Priests and rank Papists and Traitors to the Realm which he would not so much as think of them So that he gently told them that he must use the same expression to them that Christ did to Iames and Iohn They asked they wot not what The Arch-bishop wrot this Answer after the Rout at Exeter given them by the Lord Russel and the taking Prisoners divers of their Captains and Priests and between the Condemnation and Execution of Humphrey Arundel and Bray Mayor of Bodmin Whom he prayed God to make penitent before their Deaths to which they were adjudged For which two the Rebels in one of their Articles had required safe Conduct to make their Grievances known to the King As they had in another Article demanded two Divines of the same Popish stamp to be sent to them to preach namely Moreman and Crispin Who both seemed now being Priests of that Country to be under Restraint upon suspicion Men as the Arch-bishop told them ignorant of God's Word but of notable Craft Wilfulness and Dissimulation and such as would poison them instead of feeding them Of Crispin I find little but that he was once Proctor of the University of Oxon and Doctor of the Faculty of Physick and of
instrumental to Hoper's Imprisonment than by doing that which was expected from him viz. giving a true Account of his unsuccessful dealing with him But at last he complied and received Consecration after the usual Form and the Church enjoyed a most excellent Instrument in him at this time for his Learning Zeal Courage and Activity This News Peter Martyr signified in a Letter to Gualter For he and Bullinger and the rest of his Friends at Zurick had heard of this Contention and were much concerned for this their Acquaintance But as he was Consecrated in March so in April following Martyr wrote to the said Gualter That he had never been wanting to Hoper whether in his Counsel for satisfying his Conscience or in respect of his Interest with the Arch-bishop or other chief Men and that he always hoped well of his Cause That he now was freed of all his troubles and that he was actually in his Bishoprick and did discharge his Office piously and strenuously This was the more acceptable News to the Foreigners because some of the Bishops took occasion upon this Disobedience of Hoper liberally to blame the Churches abroad among which Hoper had been as tho they had infused these principles into him and then fell foul upon Bucer and Martyr that were set the one Professor in Cambridg and the other in Oxon as though they would corrupt all the Youth in both Universities who would suck in from them such Principles as Hoper had done This Bucer heard of and writ it with a concern to Marâ—â—r Who writ again how amazed and almost stupified he was to hear this But that it was well that the Bishops saw his Letter to Hoper which would vindicate him from such Imputations And indeed both his and Bucer's Letter concerning this point did or might seasonably stop this Clamour CHAP. XVIII Bishop Hoper Visits his Diocess THE Summer next after his Consecration he went down and made a strict Visitation of his Diocess fortified with Letters from the Privy-Council that so his Authority might be the greater and do the more good among an ignorant superstitious stubborn Clergy and Laity I have seen a Manuscript in Folio giving an Account of the whole Visitation of the Method thereof and of the Condition he found the Clergy of the Diocess in as to their Learning and Abilities First He sent a general Monitory Letter to his Clergy signifying his Intention of coming among them gravely advising them of their Office and what was required of them who were entred into this Holy Vocation This Letter may be found in the Appendix When he visited them he gave them Articles concerning Christian Religion to the number of Fifty which bore this Title Articles concerning Christen Religion given by the Reverend Father in Christ John Hoper Bishop of Gloucester unto all and singular Deans Parsons Prebendaries Vicars Curats and other Ecclesiastical Ministers within the Diocess of Glocester to be had and retained of them for the Vnity and Agreement as well as the Doctrine of God's Word as also for the Conformation of the Ceremonies agreeing with God's Word Let me give the Reader but a taste of them I. That none do teach any manner of thing to be necessary for the Salvation of Man other than what is contained in the Books of God's Holy Word II. That they faithfully teach and instruct the People committed unto their Charge that there is but one God Everlasting Incorporate Almighty Wise and Good the Maker of Heaven and Earth the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also he will be called upon by us And though one God in Essence and Unity in the Godhead yet in the same Unity three distinct Persons III. That they teach all the Doctrines contained in the three Creeds IV. That they teach that the Church of God is the Congregation of the Faithful wherein the Word of God is truly preached and the Sacraments justly ministred according to the Institution of Christ. And that the Church of God is not by God's Word taken for the Multitude or Company of Men as of Bishops Priests and such other but that it is the company of all Men hearing God's Word and obeying to the same lest that any Man should be seduced believing himself to be bound unto an ordinary Succession of Bishops and Priests but only unto the Word of God and the right use of his Sacraments V. That tho the true Church cannot err from the Faith yet nevertheless forasmuch as no Man is free from Sin and Lies there is nor can be any Church known be it never so perfect or holy but it may err These are the five first Then he gave them Injunctions to the number of one and thirty Seven and twenty Interrogatories and Demands of the People and Parishioners and of their Conversation to be required and known by the Parsons Vicars and Curats Sixty one Interrogatories and Examinations of the Ministers and of their Conversation to be required and known by the Parishioners There were also Articles whereupon all Ministers were examined concerning the Ten Commandments the Articles of Faith and the Petitions of the Lord's Prayer viz. to each Minister were these Questions put 1. Concerning the Commandments 1. How many Commandments 2. Where they are written 3. Whether they can recite them by Heart 2. Concerning the Christian Faith 1. What are the Articles of the Christian Faith 2. Whether they can recite them by Heart 3. That they corroborate them by Authority of Script 3. Concerning the Lord's Prayer 1. Whether they can say the Petitions by Heart 2. How they know it to be the Lord's Prayer 3. Where it is written Which Demands how easy soever they were many Curats and Priests such was the Ignorance of those Days could say but little to Some could say the Pater Noster in Latin but not in English Few could say the Ten Commandments Few could prove the Articles of Faith by Scripture That was out of their way The Memory of such as have been greatly useful in the Church or State ought religiously to be preserved Of this Number was this Bishop who as he was naturally an active Man put forth all his Strength and Vigour of Body and Mind to set forward a good Reformation in Religion and afterwards as couragiously shed his Blood for it Therefore I cannot part with this good Prelat till I have gathered up and reposited here some farther Memorials of him The Diocess of Worcester becoming void by the Deprivation of Hethe in Octob. 1551. and requiring an industrious Man to be set over that See it was given to Hoper to hold in Commendam In the Year 1552 in Iuly he visited that Diocess which he found much out of Order But before he had finished he was fain to go back to Glocester hearing of the ungodly Behaviour of the Ministers there He left them the last Year seemingly very compliant to be reformed and took their
Sentence Definitive ready to be pronounced made an Appeal from them to the King For his doing which he produced these Reasons For that these his pretended Judges were not indifferent but prejudiced against him That my Lord of Canterbury had caused him to be sent to Prison whereas the Arch-bishop was only present at the Council when he was by them ordered to the Tower And so had Hales Goodrick and Gosnold counselled to send him thither Also that the Arch-bishop and the Bishops of London and Lincoln did contrary to the Laws Ecclesiastical and taught and set forth manifest condemned Errors against the Presence in the Sacrament And because the Bishop as well in his Writings as otherwise did set forth the Catholick Faith of the very Presence of Christ's Body and Blood therefore they shewed themselves unduly affected towards him That Sir William Petre decreed the Fruits of his Bishoprick to be sequestred de facto sed non de jure and now was Judg in his own Cause But notwithstanding this Appeal the Arch-bishop with the rest of the Commissioners pronounced him Deprived and his Bishoprick void After this was done the Bishop appealed again to the King instantly more instantly most instantly from their Sentence as Injust and of no effect in Law and asked of them Letters Dimissory to be granted to him and a Copy of the Judgment But the Judges declared they would first know the pleasure of the King and his Council therein And so this last Session brake up The day after being the 15 th of February the Council sitting at VVestminster upon debating the Bishop of VVinton's Case Forasmuch as it appeared he had at all times before the Judges of his Cause used himself unreverently to the King's Majesty and slanderfully towards his Council and especially Yesterday being the Day of his Judgment given against him he called his Judges Hereticks and Sacramentaries they being there the King's Commissioners and of his Highness's Council it was therefore concluded by the whole Board that he should be removed from the Lodging he hath now in the Tower to a meaner Lodging and none to wait upon him but one by the Lieutenant's Appointment in such sort as by the resort of any Man to him he have not the liberty to send out to any Man or to hear from any Man And likewise that his Books and Papers be taken from him and seen and that from henceforth he have neither Pen Ink nor Paper to write his detestable Purposes but be sequestred from all Conferences and from all means that may serve him to practise any way March 8. at VVestminster This day by the King's Majesty 's own Appointment Dr. Poynet Bishop of Rochester was chosen Bishop of VVinchester And the Arch-bishop of Canterbury had given him 266 l. 13 s. 4 d. i. e. 400 Marks for his Pains and Charges about the Bishop of VVinchester And thus I have from very Authentick Authority gathered together these Memorials of this turbulent haughty Man who was now so seasonably laid aside in this King's Reign till we hear of him loudly in the next when he sufficiently wracked his Revenge against our good Arch-bishop and the true Religion CHAP. XX. Bishop Hethe and Bishop Day their Deprivations WHile the aforesaid Bp lay under Sequestrationin the Tower two other Bps that were wayward to the King's Proceedings in the Reformation of the Church viz. of Worcester and Chichester came under the Hands of the Privy-Council resolving to make them comply or deprive them That others more willing and better affected to Reformation might succeed and do service in the Church and that the Arch-bishop might go forward with less Stop and Impediment in the good Work he had dedicated himself unto Both of them were of the Arch-bishop's raising and seemed very compliant with the Arch-bishop during K. Henry's Reign But now both hung off from him seeming much offended with him for his relinquishing the Doctrine of the Corporeal Presence and for writing a Book against it Whereof they made mention with dislike in their Depositions in the Bishop of Winchester's Trial before the Commissioners In the last Year the Year 1549 Twelve Learned Divines Bishops and others were appointed by the Council to prepare a new Book for the Ordination of Ministers purged of the Superstitions of the old Ordinal Hethe Bishop of Worcester was nominated for one of these But he not liking the thing would not agree to what the others did nor subscribe the Book when made For which in March he was committed to the Fleet where he lay under easy Confinement all the next Year the Year 1550 during which time I find him once produced as a Witness on Bishop Gardiner's behalf But in the Year 1551 the Court being at Chelsey and the Council sitting September 22. by virtue of the King 's express Commandment Nicolâ—s Bishop of Worcester was sent for and came before the Lords and others To whom was repeated the Cause of his Imprisonment to be For that he refused to subscribe the Book devised for the Form of making Arch-bishops Bishops Priests and Deacons being authorized by Parliament At the time of which refusal being not only gently and reasonably required to subscribe it but also being manifestly taught by divers other Learned Men that all Things contained in the Book were Good and True and that the Book was expedient and allowable the said Bishop declared himself to be a vâ—ry obstinate Man And for this his doing it was now shewed unto him that he deserved longer Imprisonment Nevertheless the King's Majesty's Clemency was such that now if he had or would reconcile himself to obey his Majesty in this former Commandment he should recover the King's Majesty's Favour For which Cause it was told him That he was then presently sent for and willed now to subscribe the same Whereunto he answered That he took the Cause of his Imprisonment to be as was alleged and that also he was very gently used rather like a Son than a Subject Nevertheless he said he remained still in the same mind not willing to subscribe it although he would not disobey it And although he was reasoned withal by every of the said Council in disproving his manner of answer that he would not subscribe it being every thing in the said Book True and Good and being devised by eleven other Learned Men to which he was joined as the twelfth and received of all the whole Estate of the Realm agreeing also that he would obey it not subscribe it which contained a Contradiction in Reason Yet he still as a Man not removeable from his own Conceit refused to subscribe it Whereupon to prove all manner of Ways for the winning of him to his Duty he was offered to have Conference with Learned Men and to have time to consider the Matter better Whereunto he said That he could not have better Conference than he had heretofore and well might he have
that was such a great Instrument of promoting the Reformation He is generally charged for the great Spoil of Churches and Chappels defacing antient Tombs and Monuments and pulling down the Bells in Parish-Churches and ordering only one Bell in a Steeple as sufficient to call the People together Which set the Commonalty almost into a Rebellion As the Arch-bishop the last Year had procured Amendments and Alterations in the Book of Publick Prayers and had consulted therein with the two Learned Foreign Divines Bucer and Martyr so this Year in Ianuary an Act was made by the Parliament for authorizing the new Book and obliging the Subjects to be present at the reading of it In this Book the general Confession was added and the Absolution At the beginning of the second Service was added the Recital of the Ten Commandments with the short Ejaculation to be said between each Commandment Something was left out in the Consecration of the Sacrament that seemed to favour a Corporal presence Several Rites were laid aside as that of Oil in Confirmation and Extream Unction and Prayer for the Dead which was before used in the Communion-Office and that of Burial together with the change and abolishing of some other things that were offensive or Superstitions as may be seen by those that will take the pains to compare the two Books the one printed in the Year 1549 and the other 1552. And this was brought about by the great and long Diligence and Care of our pious Arch-bishop and no question to his great Joy and Satisfaction So that I look upon that but as an improbable report that was carried about in Frankford in those unseemly Branglings among the English Exiles there that Bullinger should say That Cranmer had drawn up a Book of Prayers an hundred times more perfect then that which was then in being but the same could not take place for that he was matched with such a wicked Clergy and Convocation with other Enemies But as his Authority was now very great so there was undoubtedly a great Deference paid to it as also to his Wisdom and Learning by the rest of the Divines appointed to that Work so that as nothing was by them inserted into the Liturgy but by his good Allowance and Approbation so neither would they reject or oppose what he thought fit should be put in or Altered The Learning Piety and good Deserts of Miles Coverdale in translating the Holy Scriptures into the English Tongue and in a constant preaching of the Gospel and sticking to the true Profession for many a Year and withall very probably their antient acquaintance in Cambridg were reasons that made our Arch-bishop a particular Friend to him When the Lord Russel was sent down against the Rebels in the West he was attended by Coverdale to preach among them Coverdale afterwards became Coadjutor to Veyzy the Bishop of Exeter who seldom resided and took little care of his Diocess But this Year whether voluntarily or by some Order he resigned up his Bishoprick having first greatly spoiled it of its Revenues And when some wise and bold Person and excellent Preacher was found extreamly needful to be sent thither to inspect the Clergy and Ecclesiastick Matters in those Parts the late Rebellion having been raised chiefly by Priests in hatred to the Religion heating and disaffecting the Minds of the common People Coverdale was judged a very fit Person to succeed in that Charge Being now Bishop Elect of Exon he had long attended at Court to get his Matters dispatched namely The doing of his Homage and the obtaining a Suit to be excused the paiment of his first Fruits being but a poor Man But such at that Time were the great and urgent Affairs of the State or the secret Hinderers of the Gospel that he found nothing but Delaies So that he was forced to apply himself unto his Friend the Arch-bishop to forward his Business Who forthwith sent his Letters to Secretary Cecyl making Coverdale himself the Bearer Entreating him to use his Interest to get this Bishop dispatched and that with speed Urging this for his Reason becoming his paternal Care over his Province That so he might without further delay go down into the Western Parts which had great need of him And also because he was minded on the 30 th of August to consecrate him and the Bishop of Rochester Scory according to the King's Mandate This Scory was at first preferred by the Arch-bishop to be one of the six Preachers at Canterbury and always continued firm to the Purity of Religion and endured Trouble for the good and wholesome Doctrine that he preached having been presented and complained of both in the Spiritual Courts and to the Justices at their Sessions when the Six Articles were in Force He was a Married Man and so deprived at the beginning of Queen Mary's Reign fled beyond Sea and was Superintendent of the English Congregation at Embden in Friezland There in the Year 1555 he wrote and printed A Comfortable Epistle unto all the Faithful that be in Prison or in any other Trouble for the defence of God's Truth Wherein he doth as well by the promises of Mercy as also by the Examples of divers holy Martyrs comfort encourage and strengthen them patiently for Christ's Sake to suffer the manifold cruel and most tyrannous Persecutions of Antichristian Tormentors As the Book bears title There were divers Bishopricks vacant this Year As that of Lincoln by the Death of Holbech The Arch-bishop deputed the Spiritualties to Iohn Pope LL. B. and Chancellor of that Church The Church commending unto the Arch-bishop this Pope and two more viz. Iohn Prin LL. D. Subdean of the Church and Christopher Massingberde LL. B. Arch-deacon of Stow. So he chose the first But yet he committed a special trust to Taylor the Dean of Lincoln whom he knew to be tight to Religion sending a Commission fiduciary to him before Pope entred upon his Office to give the said Pope his Oath Legally and faithfully to perform his Office committed to him by the Arch-bishop and to answer to the said Arch-bishop for all Obventions coming to him by virtue of his Jurisdiction and Office and that he should not by Malice or Wrong squeez the Subjects of the King and of that Diocess whether Clerks or Laics that he should not knowingly grieve them in their Estates or Persons and that he shall abstain from Oppressions Extortions and unlawful Exactions and that he shall renounce the Bishop of Rome his usurped Jurisdiction and Authority according to the Statutes of Parliament And of all this he wrote a Letter to the said Pope signifying that he required such an Oath of him to be taken before the Dean The Tenor of the Arch-bishop's Letter to the Dean went on further requiring him by his sound Council singular Prudence and by the assistance of his sincere Judgment to be present with him in any hard Cases and of
great Moment and that he would not be wanting to him in any Matters of that sort being a Person of that Knowledg in Sacred Prophane Learning of that Prudence Circumspection and Dexterity in managing Business And so finally joined him with Pope to perform all this piously and catholickly according to the Rule of Evangelick Religion and the Exigency of the Laws and Statutes of this Kingdom And deputed him his Vice-gerent This Letter was dated at Croydon the 20 th of August This Commission seemed to be somewhat extraordinary The occasion whereof might be because the Arch-bishop did not confide in this Chancellor of the Church suspecting his Religion and Compliance with the King's Proceedings therefore he thought good to associate him with Taylor the Dean of whom he was well assured The Church of Worcester became also Vacant by the Deprivation of Hethe the Bishop The Arch-bishop committed the Spiritualties thereof to Iohn Barlo Dean of the said Church and Roland Taylor LL. D. his Domestick Chaplain These he constituted his Officials to exercise all Episcopal Jurisdiction This Commission was dated at Lambeth Ian. 10. 1554 by an Error of the Scribe for 1551. as appears by a Certificate sent from the Church to that Arch-bishop signifying the Vacation of it Upon the Vacancy of the Church of Chichester by the Deprivation of Day the Arch-bishop made Iohn Worthial Arch-deacon of Chichester and Robert Taylor LL. B. Dean of the Deanery of South-Malling his Officials This Commission to them dated Novemb. 3 1551 was to Visit c. Upon the Vacancy of the Church of Hereford by the Death of Skip late Bishop there the Spiritualties were committed to Hugh Coren LL. D. Dean of that Church and Rich. Cheny D.D. Arch-deacon of Hereford Their Commission was to Visit c. Upon the Vacancy of the Bishoprick of Bangor either by the Death of Bulkly the Bishop or his Resignation upon his blindness the Arch-bishop made his Commissaries Griffin Leyson his principal Chancellor and Official Rowland Merick a Canon of S. David's and Geofrey Glynn L L. D D. The Church of Rochester also became this Year Vacant by the Translation of Scory to Chichester In these Vacancies the Bishopricks were lamentably pilled by hungry Courtiers of the Revenues belonging to them This Year Bishop Hoper was by the Council dispatched down as was said before into his Diocess where things were much out of order and Popery had great footing and therefore it wanted such a stirring Man as he was That he might do the more Good he had the Authority of the Lords of the Council to back him by a Commission granted to him and others He brought most of the Parish-Priests and Curates from their old Superstitions and Errors concerning the Doctrine of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper The Recantation of one of them of more note named Phelps the Incumbent of Ciciter which he made publickly and subscribed may be seen in the Appendix This Year there happened two learned Conferences in Latin privately managed about the Corporeal Presence in the Sacrament The one on the 25 th of November in the House of Sir William Cecyl Secretary of State performed by the said Cecyl Sir Iohn Cheke Horne Dean of Durham Whitehead and Grindal on the Protestant side and Feckenham and Yong on the Popish But first before they began Cecyl under his solemn Protestation assured them that every Man should have free Liberty to speak his Mind and that none should receive any Dammage or incurr any Danger Cheke began by propounding this question Quis esset verus germanus sensus verborum Coenae Hoc est corpus meum Num quem verba sensu grammatico accepta prae se ferebant an aliud quiddam To whom Feckenham answered There were present besides those that disputed these noble and learned Persons The Lord Russel Sir Anthony Coke Mr. Hales Mr. Wroth Mr. Frogmartin Mr. Knolles Mr. Harrington The second Disputation was Decemb. 3. following in Mr. Morisin's House where were present the Marq. of Northampton the Earl of Rutland the Lord Russel and those above named and Watson added on the Papists side Then Cheke again propounded the Question Whether the words of the Supper are to be understood in a grammatical or in a figurative Sense To which Watson Responded Both these Disputations are too large for this place but they are set down in one of the Manuscript Volumes of the Benet-Library In November died Dr. Iohn Redman Master of Trinity-College in Cambridg and one of the great Lights of that University for the bringing in solid Learning among the Students a Prebendary of the Church of Westminster and who in the Year 1549 assisted in the compiling the English Book of Common-Prayer and preached a Sermon upon the Learned Bucer's Death the day following his Funeral He was a Person of extraordinary Reputation among all for his great Learning and Reading and profound Knowledg in Divinity So that the greatest Divines gave a mighty Deference to his Judgment And therefore when he lay sick at Westminster many learned Men repaired to him desiring to know his last Judgment of several Points then so much controverted And he was very ready to give them Satisfaction Among the rest that came were Richard Wilks Master of Christ's College Cambridg Alexander Noel afterwards Dean of Paul's and Yong a Man of Fame in Cambridg for his disputing against Bucer about Justification In these Conferences with these learned Man he called the See of Rome Sentina Malorum A Sink of Evils he said That Purgatory as the Schoolmen taught it was ungodly and that there was no such kind of Purgatory as they fancied That the offering up the Sacrament in Masses and Trentals for the Sins of the Dead was ungodly That the Wicked are not partakers of the Body of Christ but receive the outward Sacrament only That it ought not to be carried about in Procession That nothing that is seen in the Sacrament or perceived with the outward Sense is to be worshipped That we receive not Christ's Body Corporaliter grosly like other Meats but so Spiritualiter that nevertheless Verè truly That there was not any good ground in the old Doctors for Transubstantiation as ever he could perceive nor could he see what could be answered to the Objections against it That Priests might by the Law of God marry Wives That this Proposition Faith only justifies so that this Faith signify a true lively Faith resting in Christ and embracing him is a true godly sweet and comfortable Doctrine That our Works cannot deserve the Kingdom of God And he said that it troubled him that he had so much strove against Justification by Faith only A Treatise whereof he composed which was printed at Antwerp after his Death in the Year 1555. He said also to Yong That Consensus Ecclesiae was but a weak Staff to lean to and exhorted him to read the Scriptures
for there was that which would comfort him when he should be in such a case as he was then in One asked him concerning the Doctrine of the School-Doctors that Bread remained not after Consecration He replied There was none of the School-Doctors knew what Consecratio did mean And pausing a while said It was Tota actio The whole Action in ministring the Sacrament as Christ did institute it After the Conference with him was ended Yong retiring into another Chamber said to Wilks that Dr. Redman so moved him that whereas he was before in such Opinion of certain things that he would have burned and lost his Life for them now he doubted of them But I see said he a Man shall know more and more by process of time and by reading and hearing others And Mr. Dr. Redman's saying shall cause me to look more diligently for them Ellis Lomas Redman's Servant said he knew his Master had declared to King Henry that Faith only justifieth but that he thought that Doctrine was not to be taught the People lest they should be negligent to do good Works All this I have related of this Divine that I may in some measure preserve the Memory of one of the Learnedest Men of his Time and lay up the dying Words of a Papist signifying so plainly his dislike and disallowance of many of their Doctrines The Sweating-sickness breaking out this Year in great violence whereby the two Sons of the Duke of Suffolk were taken off Letters from the Council dated Iuly 18 were sent to all the Bishops to perswade the People to Prayer and to see God better served It being enacted 1549 That the King might during three Years appoint sixteen Spiritual Men and sixteen Temporal to examine the old Ecclesiastical Laws and to compile a Body of Ecclesiastical Laws to be in force in the room of the old this third Year Octob. 6. a Commission was issued out to the same number of Persons authorizing them to reform the Canon Laws that is to say to eight Bishops eight Divines eight Civil Lawyers and eight Common Whose Names as they occur in an Original are as follow BISHOPS The Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Bishops of London Winchester Ely Exeter Glocester Bath Rochestre DIVINES Mr. Taylor of Lincoln Cox Almoner Parker of Cambridg Latimer Cook Sir Anthony I suppose Peter Martyr Cheke Ioannes a Laseo CIVILIANS Mr. Peter Cecyl Sir Tho. Smith Taylor of Hadeligh Dr. May Mr. Traheron Dr. Lyel Mr. Skinner LAWYERS Justice Hales Justice Bromly Goodrick Gosnal Stamford Carel Lucas Brook Recorder of London It was so ordered that this number should be divided into four distinct Classes or Companies each to consist of two Bishops two Divines to Civilians and two Common-Lawyers And to each Company were assigned their set parts Which when one Company had finished it was transmitted to the other Companies to be by them all well considered and inspected But out of all the number of two and thirty eight especially were selected from each rank two viz. out of the Bishops the Arch-bishop and the Bishop of Ely out of the Divines Cox and Martyr out of the Civilians Taylor and May out of the Common-Lawyers Lucas and Goodrick To whom a new Commission was made Novemb. 9 for the first forming of the Work and preparation of the Matter And the Arch-bishop supervised the whole Work This Work they plied close this Winter But lest they should be straitned for time the Parliament gave the King three Years longer for accomplishing this Affair So Feb. 2. A Letter was sent from the Council to make a new Commission to the Arch-bishop and to the other Bishops and Learned Men Civilians and Lawyers for the establishment of the Ecclesiastical Laws according to the Act of Parliament made in the last Session This was a very noble Enterprize and well worthy the Thoughts of our excellent Arch-bishop Who with indefatigable Pains had been both in this and the last King's Reign labouring to bring this Matter about and he did his part for he brought the Work to perfection But it wanted the King's Ratification which was delayed partly by Business and partly by Enemies Bishops Consecrated August the 30 th Iohn Scory Ponet being translated to Winchester was consecrated Bishop of Rochester at Croyden by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury assisted by Nicolas Bishop of London and Iohn Suffragan of Bedford Miles Coverdale was at the same time and place Consecrated Bishop of Exon all with their Surplices and Copes and Coverdale so habited also CHAP. XXVII The Articles of Religion OUR Arch-bishop and certain of the Bishops and other Divines but whom by Name I find not were this Year chiefly busied in composing and preparing a Book of Articles of Religion which was to contain what should be publickly owned as the Sum of the Doctrine of the Church of England This the Arch-bishop had long before this bore in his Mind as excellently serviceable for the creating of a Concord and Quietness among Men and for the putting an End to Contentions and Disputes in Matters of Religion These Articles the Arch-bishop was the Penner or at least the great Director of with the assistance as is very probable of Bishop Ridley And so he publickly owned afterwards in his Answer to certain Interrogatories put to him by Queen Mary's Commissioners viz. That the Catechism the Book of Articles and the Book against Winchester were his Doings These Articles were in number Forty two and were agreed to in the Convocation 1552. And in the Year 1553 they were published by the King's Authority both in Latin and English After they were finished he laboured to have the Clergy subscribe them but against their Wills he compelled none though afterwards some charged him falsly to do so Which he utterly denied as he declared before the said Queen's Commissioners But to enter into some Particulars concerning so eminent a Matter Ecclesiastical as this was In the Year 1551 the King and his Privy-Council ordered the Archbishop to frame a Book of Articles of Religion for the preserving and maintaining Peace and Unity of Doctrine in this Church that being finish'd they might be set forth by Publick Authority The Arch-bishop in obedience hereunto drew up a set of Articles which were delivered to certain other Bishops to be inspected and subscribed I suppose by them Before them they lay until this Year 1552. Then May 2. a Letter was sent from the Council to our Arch-bishop to send the Articles that were delivered the last Year to the Bishops and to signify whether the same were set forth by any Publick Authority according to the Minutes The Arch-bishop accordingly sent the Articles and his Answer unto the Lords of the Council In September I find the Articles were again in his Hands Then he set the Book in a better Order and put Titles upon each of the Articles and some Additions for the better perfecting of the Work and supply
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
and therewith procure for him the like Licence as to the other had been granted And lastly that Goodacre and his Collegue Bale might find the better Countenance and Authority when they should exercise their Functions in that Country the Privy-Council wrote two Letters to the Lord-Deputy and Council of Ireland the one dated Octob. 27. in commendation of Bale Bishop Elect of Ossory and the other dated Novemb. 4. in commendation of Goodacre Bishop Elect of Armachan CHAP. XXIX The Arch-bishop charged with Covetousness TO divert the King after the loss of his Unkle whom he dearly loved Northumberland took him in Progress in the Summer of this Year While he was in this Progress some about his Person that they might the better make way for their Sacrilegious Designs and to make the King the more inclinable to lay Hands on the Episcopal Demeans or at least to clip and pare them buzzed about the Court Rumours how Rich the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and the other Bishops were and withal how niggardly and unsutably they lived to their great Incomes laying up and scraping together to enrich themselves and their Posterities whereby Hospitality was neglected which was especially required of them Hereupon Sir William Cecyl the Secretary who was now with the King and took notice of these Discourses and saw well the malicious Tendency thereof and moreover thought them perhaps in some measure to be true laboured to hinder the ill Consequence For he was ever a very great Favourer as of the Reformed Clergy so of their Estate and Honours This put him upon writing a private Letter from Court to the Arch-bishop desiring him favourably to take a piece of good Counsel at his Hands as he intended it innocently and out of a good Mind acquainting him with the Reports at the Court of his Riches and of his Covetousness reminding him withal of that Passage of St. Paul They that will be Rich fall into Temptation and a Snare meaning probably thereby the Danger that he and the rest of his Brethren might expose their Revenues to thereby The Arch-bishop seemed somewhat netled and perceiving the ill Designs dispatched an Answer hereunto giving a true Account of his own Condition and of the other Bishops as to temporal Things and letting him understand how much the World was mistaken in him and the rest That for himself he feared not that Saying of St. Paul half so much as he did stark Beggary That he took not half so much Care for his Living when he was a Scholar of Cambridg as he did at that present For although he had now much more Revenue yet he said he had much more to do withal That he had more Care now to live as an Arch-bishop than he had at that Time to live like a Scholar That he had not now so much as he had within ten Years past by an hundred and fifty Pounds of certain Rent besides Casualties That he paid double for every thing he bought And that if a good Auditor had this Account he should find no great Surplusage to grow rich upon And then as for the rest of the Bishops he told him That they were all Beggars but only one single Man of them and yet he dared well say that he was not very Rich. And that if he knew any Bishop that were Covetous he would surely admonish him Intreating the Secretary that if he could inform him of any such he would signify him and himself would advertise him thinking he could do it better than the other Who seemed to have hinted his Mind to the Arch-bishop that he intended to do it This Letter will be found among the rest in the Appendix No doubt the Arch-bishop was thus large and earnest on this Subject to supply the Secretary with Arguments to confute that malicious Talk at Court concerning the Bishops and to prevent the Mischiefs hatching against them Nor indeed was this the first time this Arch-bishop was thus slandered For some of his Enemies divers Years before had charged him to his loving Master King Henry VIII with Covetousness and ill House-keeping And the chief of these that raised this Report was Sir Thomas Seimour But the King made him to convince himself by sending him to Lambeth about Dinner-time upon some pretended Message Where his own Eyes saw how the Arch-bishop lived in far other sort than he had told the King keeping great and noble Hospitality So that when he returned he acknowledged to his Majesty that he never saw so honourable a Hall set in this Realm besides his Majesty's in all his Life with better Order and so well furnished in each Degree And the King then gave this Testimony of him Ah good Man all that he hath he spendeth in House-keeping For this Reason probably it was as well as upon the account of his good Service and also of the Exchanges he was forced to make that the said King gave him a promise of a Grant of some Lands and by a general Clause in his Will signified as much which was That certain Persons should be considered Accordingly I find in the forementioned Manuscript-Book of Sales of King's Lands that Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury did in the first Year of King Edward VI. partly by Purchase and partly by Exchange of other Lands procure divers Lands of the King He obtained the Rectory of VVhalley Blackbourn and Rachdale in the County of Lancaster lately belonging to the Monastery or Abby of VVhalley in the same County and divers other Lands and Tenaments in the Counties of Lancaster Kent Surrey London Bangor And this partly in Consideration of King Henry VIII his Promise and in performance of his Will and partly in exchange for the Mannor and Park of Mayfield in the County of Sussex and divers other Lands and Tenements in the Counties of Middlesex Hertford Kent Buckingham and York This Purchase he made I suppose not for himself but for his See About the same time he also bought of the King for the sum of five hundred and eighty Pounds eight Shillings and four Pence the Mannor of Sleford in the County of Lincoln and of Middleton-Cheny in the County of Northampton and divers other Lands and Tenements in the said Counties He made another Purchase of the King the same Year that is the first of his Reign for four hundred twenty nine Pounds fourteen shillings and two Pence and for the fulfilling the last Will of the late King and in consideration of Services as it is expressed in the said Book of Sales This Purchase was the Priory of Arthington in the County of York and divers other Lands and Tenements in York Nottingham and Kent An Extract of which three Purchases exactly taken out of the said Book with the Value of the Lands and the Rent reserved and the Time of the Issues and the Test of the Patent I have thought fit to insert in the Appendix which
Council wrote a Letter to the great Men in those Parts viz. the Lord Russel Lord Windsor to the Justices of the Peace and the rest of the Gentlemen within that County in favour of the said Knox the Preacher A Bishop Consecrated June 26. Iohn Taylor S. Th. P. Dean of Lincoln a Learned and Pious Man was Consecrated Bishop of Lincoln at Croyden-Chappel by the Arch-bishop assisted by Nicolas Bishop of London and Iohn Bishop of Rochester CHAP. XXXIV A Catechism The Arch-bishop opposeth the Exclusion of the Lady Mary WE are now come to the last Year of good K. Edward's Reign when the Arch-bishop was as commonly at the Council as he used to be before For the Counsellors made great use of him and did not use to conclude any thing in matters relating to the Church without him And if he came not they often sent for him and once the last Year in October when he had fixed his Day of going into Kent they staied him for some Days that they might confer with him about some certain Matter I suppose relating to the Articles of Religion that were then under their Hands To look no further than the latter end of the last Year He was at Council at Westminster in February and this Year in March and April And the Court being at Greenwich where the King lay sick and died the Arch-bishop was there at Council in Iune but not after the eighth Day The reason he came no more we may well conjecture to be because he did no ways like the Methods that were now taking by Northumberland to bring the Crown into his own Family and disenherit the King's Sisters For soon after viz. Iune 11. The Lord Chief Justice Mountagne and some other Judges with the King's Attorny and Solicitor were sent for to the Council to consult about drawing up the Instrument On one of these Council-Days he procured the King's Letters in behalf of the Book of Articles which he had taken such Pains about the two last Years both in composing and in bringing to effect The King had before given order to the Arch-bishop by his Letters to put forth these Articles And now they were put forth he procured the King's Letters also to his own Officers for to see the Clergy of his Diocess to subscribe thereunto So the King's Letters were directed to the Official of the Court of Canterbury and the Dean of the Deanery of the Arches and to their Surrogates Deputies c. Setting forth That whereas he had given order unto Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury in Letters sealed with his Signet for the Honour of God and to take away Dissension of Opinion and confirm Consent of true Religion that he should expound publish denounce and signify some Articles and other things breathing the right Faith of Christ for the Clergy and People within his Jurisdiction the King therefore enjoined them the Arch-bishop's Officers that they should cause all Rectors Vicars Priests Stipendiaries School-masters and all that had any Ecclesiastical Employment to appear in Person before the Arch-bishop in his Hall at Lambeth there further to obey and do on the King's part according as it shall be signified and to receive according to Reason and the Office owing to the King 's Royal Dignity And in obedience hereunto the Official Iohn Gibbon LL. D. Commissary of the Deanery of the Blessed Virgin of the Arches signified by an Instrument dated Iune 2 to the Arch-bishop that he had cited the Clergy I do not find the success of this only that the City-Clergy made their appearance before the Arch-bishop at Lambeth and that he did his endeavor by Perswasion and Argument to bring them to subscribe Which no question very few refused But this Matter afterwards served Q. Mary's Commissioners for one of their Interrogatories to be put to the Arch-bishop as though he had compelled many against their Wills to subscribe Which he denied saying He compelled none but exhorted such to subscribe as were willing first to do it before they did it In the Month of May the King by his Letters Patents commanded a Latin Catechism to be taught by School-masters to their Scholars It was intitled Catechismus brevis Christianae disciplinae summam continens The King in his Letters dated May 20. said It was made by a certain Pious and Learned Man and presented to him and that he committed the diligent examination of it to certain Bishops and other Learned Men whose Judgment was of great Authority with him The same Bishops and Learned Men I suppose that were framing and preparing the Articles of Religion the last Year The Author of this Catechism is not certainly known Some conjecture him to be Ponet the Bishop of Winchester The Learned Dr. Ward one of the English Divines sent to the Synod of Dort having this Catechism in his Library now in the possession of a Friend of mine wrote therein these words A ro N llo autore siquid ego divinare possum Meaning probably Alexander Nowel who was now if I mistake not School-master of Westminster and afterwards Dean of S. Pauls But whosoever was the Author the Arch-bishop we may conclude to be the furtherer and recommender of it unto the King it being that Prelate's great Design by Catechisms and Articles of Religion and plain Expositions of the Fundamentals to instil right Principles into the Minds of the Youth and common People for the more effectual rooting out Popery that had been so long entertained by the industrious nurselling up the Nation in Ignorance There was a Catechism that came forth about this time whether it were this or another I cannot say allowed by the Synod or Convocation In the beginning of Q. Mary the Popish Divines made a great stir about this Catechism and thought they had a great Advantage against it because it was put forth as from the Synod whereas that Synod knew nothing of it Whereupon Wesâ—on the Prolocutor in Q. Mary's first Convocation brought a Bill into the House declaring that Catechism being Pestiferous and full of Heresies to be foisted upon the last Synod fraudulently and therefore that the present Synod disowned it To which he set his own hand and propounded that all the House should do the like Which all but six consented to One whereof was Philpot Arch-deacon of Winchester who stood up and told them in justification of those that published the said Catechism that the Synod under K. Edward had granted to certain Persons to be appointed by the King to make Ecclesiastical Laws And whatsoever Ecclesiastical Laws they or the most part of them did set forth according to a Statute in that behalf provided might well be said to be done by the Synod of London although such as were of the House then had no notice thereof before the Promulgation And therefore in this Point he thought the setters forth of the Catechism had nothing slandered the House since they had that
deprived of their Receits somewhat after the day with the which their Fruits to the Queen's Majesty should be contented And in general the Deprivations were so speedy so hastily so without warning c. The Bishops saith another Writer and Sufferer in these Days that were Married were thrust out of the Parliament-House and all Married Deans and Arch-deacons out of the Convocation many put out of their Livings and others restored without Form of Law Yea some Noble-men and Gentlemen were deprived of those Lands which the King had given them without tarrying for any Law lest my Lord of VVinchester should have lost his Quarter's Rent Many Churches were changed many Altars set up many Masses said many Dirges sung before the Law was repealed All was done in post haste Nor was their Deprivation all they endured but they together with many other Professors of the Religion were taken up very fast For VVinchester did resolve to make quick Work to reduce if he could the Realm to the old Religion So that they came into the Marshalsea thick and three-fold for Religion sent by him thither And that they might be sure to suffer Hardship enough when the Bishop's Almoner Mr. Brook's he who was I suppose after Bishop of Glocester came to this Prison with his Master's Alms-Basket he told the Porter named Britain that it was his Lord's Pleasure that none of the Hereticks that lay there should have any part of his Alms. And that if he knew any of them had any part thereof that House should never have it again so long as he lived To which the Porter replied That he would have a care of that he would warrant him and that if they had no Meat till they had some of his Lordship's they should be like to starve And so he bad him tell his Lord and added That they should get no favour at his Hand These Sufferings P. Martyr now gotten out of England took notice of in a Letter to Calvin dated Novemb. 3. Where having related to him how the two Arch-bishops of Canterbury and York the Bishops of Worcester and Exon and many other Learned and Pious Preachers were in Bonds for the Gospel and together with them many other godly Persons were in extream Danger he proceeded to mention two things to Calvin to mitigate the Trouble he knew he conceived for this ill News The own was That although the Infirmity of some betrayed them yet great was the constancy of far more than he could have thought So that he doubted not England would have many famous Martyrs if Winchester who then did all should begin to Rage according to his Will The other was That it was the Judgment of all that this Calamity would not be long And therefore said Martyr let us pray to God that he would quickly tread down Satan under the Feet of his Church The same Learned Man speaking in another Letter concerning the good Forwardness of Religion at the first coming of Queen Mary to the Crown said That he had many Scholars in England Students in Divinity not to be repented of whose Harvest was almost ripe Whom he was forced to see either wandring about in uncertain Stations or remaining at home unhappily subverted And that there was in this Kingdom many Holy as well as Learned Bishops that were then in hard Confinement and soon to be dragged to the extremest Punishments as if they were Robbers And that here was the foundation of the Gospel and of a Noble Church laid and by the Labours of some Years the holy Building had well gone forward and daily better things were hoped for But that unless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God from above came to the succour of it he thought there would not be a Footstep of Godliness left at last as to the external Profession All the Matters of the Church the Queen left wholly to the management of the Bishop of Winchester whom She now advanced from a Prisoner in the Tower to be Lord High Chancellor of England And indeed the Governance of the whole Realm was committed to him with a few other He ruled Matters as he would and that all England knew and saw plainly Nay the Consent of the whole Parliament followed his Head and his Will So that against their Wills and against the Wills of many thousand true Hearts in the Realm as they of the Parliament well knew they condescended unto him and what he could not do in one Parliament that he did in another So that in a Year and an half he had three Parliaments During which time many things the Parliament condescended unto against their Wills As that the Queen should Marry with a Foreign Prince that the Service in the English Tongue should be taken away that the Bishop of Rome should have his old ejected Authority here again as one of the Divines in those Times had intended to have told Winchester to his Face had he been permitted Speech October 1. The Queen was Crowned at the Abby-Church at Westminster And then was proclaimed a Pardon but not over-gracious For all the Prisoners in the Tower and Fleet were excepted and sixty two besides whereof the Printers of the Bible Grafton and Whitchurch were two Most of these excepted were of the chief Professors of the Gospel No Pardon for them At the Coronation among other triumphal Showes Paul's Steeple bare top and top Gallant like a Ship with many Flags and Banners and a Man stood triumphing and danceing on the top Whereat one Vnderhill a Gentleman that sat on Horse-back there to see the Show said to those about him At the Coronation of King Edward I saw Paul's Steeple lay at Anchor and now She wears top and top Gallant Surely the next will be Ship-wrack or it be long And indeed there followed a Ship-wrack of the Church The Service established in K. Edward's Days did not cease upon Queen Mary's grasping the Scepter But the Ministers performed the Worship of God and celebrated the Holy Sacrament and used the Common-Prayer diligently and constantly And the People frequented the same with more seriousness than before They foresaw what Times were coming which made them meet often together while they might Lamenting bitterly the Death of K. Edward and partaking of the Sacrament with much Devotion It was the Bishop of Winchester's Resolution to redress this in London For he was purposed to stifle the Religion as speedily and as vigorously as he could And one way he had to do this was to send his Spies into all the Churches in London And these would come into the Churches and disturb the Ministers with rude Words and Actions in their very Ministration and then go to the Bishop and make their Informations And so the Ministers were fetch'd up by the Officers before him and then committed unless they would comply And this in the very beginning of the Queen's Reign when the Preachers did
Kings of England viz. Supream Head of the Church of England was left out Which by a Statute made in the 35 o of Henry VIII was ordained to be united and annexed for ever to the Imperial Crown of this Realm In which third Parliament of the Queen they repealed what was done by K. Henry VIII for the restitution of the Liberty of the Realm and extinguishing the usurped Authority of the Bishop of Rome This Flaw Gardiner the Lord Chancellor well seeing thought craftily to excuse by saying as may be seen in a Piece of the Statute made in the same Parliament Cap. 8. That it lay in the free Choice and free Liberty of the Kings of this Realm whether they would express the same Title in their Stile or no. But it is replied to this that though any Man may renounce his own private Right yet he may not renounce his Right in that which toucheth the Common-Wealth or a third Person And this Title and Stile more touched the Common-Wealth and the Realm of England than the King In this first Parliament an Act was made for confirmation of the Marriage of the Queen's Mother to her Father K. Henry Herein the leading Men shewed their Malice against the good Arch-bishop by their wording of the Preamble as That Thomas Cranmer late Arch-bishop did most ungodly and against Law judg the Divorce upon his own unadvised Understanding of the Scriptures and upon the Testimonies of the Universities and some bare and most untrue Conjectures And they declared the Sentence given by him to be unlawful But I cannot let this pass for the Reputation of the Arch-bishop without taking notice of the Censure that the Bishop of Sarum doth worthily bestow upon Bishop Gardiner whom he concludes to be the drawer up of this Act That he shewed himself herein to be past all Shame and that it was as high a pitch of Malice and Impudence as could be devised For Gardiner had been setting this on long before Cranmer was known to the King and had joined with him in the Commission and had given his Consent to the Sentence Nor was the Divorce meerly grounded upon Cranmer's understanding the Scriptures but upon the fullest and most studied Arguments that had perhaps been in any Age brought together in one particular Case And both Houses of Convocation had condemned the Marriage before his Sentence CHAP. V. The Arch-bishop Attainted THIS Parliament Attainted Cranmer with the Lady Iane and her Husband and some others And in November he was adjuged guilty of High Treason at Guild-hall And under this Judgment he lay for a good while which was very uneasy to him desiring to suffer under the imputation of Heresy under this Government rather than Treason He was now looked upon as devested of his Arch-bishoprick being a Person attainted And the Fruits of his Bishoprick were Sequestred Canterbury being now without an Arch-bishop the Dean Dr. VVotton acted in that Station according to his Office in the Vacancy of the See So he sent out many Commissions There was a Commission from him to Iohn Cotterel and VVilliam Bowerman to exercise Jurisdiction in the See of VVells by the Resignation of Barlow Bishop there Another Commission to the See of Bristol upon the Resignation of Bush. Another for the See of Litchfield upon the Death of Richard Sampson Which Commission was directed to David Pool LL. D. dated 1554. Septemb. ult Another to exercise Jurisdiction in the See of Exon Vacant by the Death of Veysy February 9. 1554. Another for the Consecration of Gilbert Bourn Bishop of Bath and VVells Iohn VVhite Bishop of Lincoln Morice Griffith of Rochester Iohn Cotes of Chester Henry Morgan of S. David's Iames Brook of Glocester Who were all Consecrated together in the Church of S. Saviour's Southwark April 1. 1554. This Commission I suppose was to the Bishop of VVinchester Another Commission for the Consecration of Hopton Bishop of Norwich dated Octob. 6. 1554. consecrated Octob. 28. following Another Commission to Consecrate Holiman Bishop of Bristol and Bayn Bishop of Litchfield dated Novemb. 16 1554. consecrated Novemb. 18. following Another Commission to Consecrate Iames Turbervil Bishop of Exon who was Consecrated September 8. 1555. And for VVilliam Glin Bishop of Bangor the same Date All these five last named were Consecrated in a Chappel of the Bishop of London in London The poor Arch-bishop most instantly sued to the Queen for his Pardon acknowledging his Fault in the most submissive manner that could be But though She had granted Pardons to divers others that had signed K. Edward's Will and made no such boggle to do it as the Arch-bishop did yet the Arch-bishop remained unpardoned He sent divers humble petitionary Letters to the Queen and her Council for the obtaining this Favour In one Letter to her he called it his Hainous Folly and Offence and said That he never liked it nor that any thing that the Queen's Brother ever did grieved him so much and that if it had been in his Power he would have letted the doing of it That divers of the Queen's Council knew what he had said to the King and the Council against proceeding in it and that he endeavoured to talk to the King alone about it but was not permitted and that when he could not disswade him from this Will he was hardly brought to sign it notwithstanding what the Judges told him to satisfy him in Point of Law And that at last it was the King's earnest Request to him that he would not be the only Man that refused it Which with the Judgment of the Lawyers overcame him to set his Hand But I refer the Reader to the Appendix to weigh this whole Letter as it is there transcribed Another Petition the next Year 1554 he sent up from Oxon by Dr. VVeston to the Council And therein he begged them to interceed with the Queen for his Pardon But VVeston carrying it half-way to London and then opening it and seeing the Contents of it sent it back again to the Arch-bishop and refused to be the Messenger This at length was the Resolution that was taken concerning him in this Matter because for shame they could not deny him a Pardon when others far more Guilty and deeper in the Business had it That he should be pardoned the Treason as an Act of the Queen's Grace and then he should be proceeded against for Heresy for diâ— they were resolved he should When this Pardon was at length obtained he was right glad being very gladly ready to undergo Afflictions for the Doctrine that he had taught and the Reformation he had set on Foot because this he reckoned to be suffering for God's Cause and not as an Evil-doer The Arch-bishop looked now with weeping Eyes upon the present sad Condition of Religion and the miserable Apostacy of the Church lapsed into all the formerly rejected Superstitions Nor could he now procure any Redress Yet he felt a
mistake not Prior of the Church of Canterbury but long since fled out of England and lived with Pole and by the Queen afterwards preferred to the Bishoprick of S. Asaph The Contents of the Queen 's former Letter consisted in two Points The one concerning the difficulty She feared in renouncing the Title of the Supremacy For She writ him that when the Parliament yielded to the abolishing of the Laws wherein her Mother's Matrimony was made Illegitimate the lower House willingly agreed to the establishment of her Right of succeeding to the Crown but made a great boggle of abolishing the Title of the Supremacy thinking that might be a way to the introducing the Pope's Authority again which they could not gladly hear of And therefore neither did they like to hear of a Legate from the Pope Hence the Queen who knew Pole was now commissioned by the Pope for his Legate in this Kingdom and ready to come did entreat him to stop for a while And She desired his Advice in case the Parliament would not be brought to let go the Law wherein the Supremacy was placed in the Crown Imperial of this Land The other Point wherein the Queen desired information of the Cardinal was how the Commission She had privately given to Commendone was published in the Consistory of Rome as her Ambassador resident at Venice had certified her The Sum of her other Letter to the Cardinal was concerning certain Persons that She had in her intentions to make Bishops in the void Sees They were Morgan White Parfew Coates Brooks Holiman and Bayn How they might be put into those Sees without derogation to the Authority of the See Apostolick For She intended not to extend the Power of the Crown further than it was in use before the Schism She sent him also the two Acts that had past in the Parliament the one of the Legitimation of the Matrimony of Q. Katharine with K. Henry and the other of the Sacraments to be used in that manner as they were used the last Year of K. Henry VIII which She sent to him because She knew they would be Matter of Comfort and Satisfaction to him As to both these Letters of the Queen he gave Instructions to Goldwel to signify to her Majesty what his Thoughts were As to the first his Advice was That the Authority and Acceptableness of the Person goes a great way to make any Proposition well entertained and received by the People And that seeing there were none neither of the Temporalty nor Spiritualty but that had either spoke or writ against the Pope's Supremacy therefore he thought that her Majesty her self would be the fittest Person to propound it with her own Mouth Which was the course the Emperor took to justify his War with the French King He did it by his own Mouth before the Pope and Cardinals He would have her at the same time to let the Parliament know plainly that he Cardinal Pole being the Pope's Legate was to be admitted and sent for And therefore that in order to this the Law of his Banishment might be repealed and he restored in Blood As to the second Point which seemed to offend the Queen that Commendone had revealed that in the Consistory which She told him in much Secresy Pole said That he kept her Counsel and told nothing that he heard from her Mouth but only what he had heard of certain devout Catholicks that knew the Queen's mind Which was in general concerning the devout Mind her Majesty bare to God and the Church But that nothing was spoken of that particular Matter that She would have none but the Pope made acquainted with Which private matter it seems was that She desired the Pope to make Pole his Legate to England But that he should be thus stopped in his Journey when the Pope had sent him upon such a weighty Errand the Cardinal signified in the same Letter his disgust of And He feared it might be so ill taken by the Pope and Cardinals that they might send for him back again to Rome and not permit him to go on that intended charitable Design And that it was contrary to her first Commission when She shewed more fervency to receive the Obedience of the Church as he took the confidence to tell her And that therefore he was in some suspicion that the next Commission he should receive from the Pope should be to return back into Italy again Because the Pope might think that he had done his part touching his Demonstration of his Care of the Queen and her Realms when he offered both so readily all Graces that tended to make a Reconciliation of both to the Church In which perhaps said he the Cardinals would think his Holiness had been too Liberal And that they might take his Stop without their Consent for a great Indignity And this Revocation he still more feared if his stay should be deferred any longer space The Cardinal upon this his Stay sent a Servant of his by Post to Rome to make a fair Excuse for this Stop namely that the Queen shortly trusted that the Matters of the Parliament should have that Satisfaction that the Cardinal desired Which was the effect of a Letter the Queen writ to one Henry Pyning his Servant He also let the Pope know by the aforesaid Messenger that it was the Empeperor's Advice that the Queen should proceed in Matters of Religion warily and slowly and not to be too hasty until temporal Matters were better settled He also wrote Letters to the Emperor which he sent by his Servant Pyning to perswade him to remove this Stop and bad his said Servant to repair to the Emperor's Confessor that he should personally resort unto him and by all means possible move the Emperor to let the Cardinal go forward As to the two Acts of Parliament which the Queen sent him he wrote her That they were partly to his Satisfaction and partly not For the Act of Ratification of the Matrimony was defective in that the Parliament mentioning the Wisdom of the Parents in making the Match did make no mention of their Wisdom in that besides their own Consent they procured the Pope's Dispensation and the Authority of the See Apostolick whereby the impediments of Conjunction by the Laws of the Church were taken away Which he added ought by all means to have been mentioned As to the other Act for Confirmation of the Sacraments the defect of that he said lay in that this Act made those capable of partaking of the Sacraments that were not yet entred into the Unity of the Church and remained still in Schism But to receive more full Satisfaction in these matters I refer the Reader to the Instructions given by the Cardinal to Goldwel as they may be read in the Appendix CHAP. VIII The Dealings with the Married Clergy THE Marriage of the Clergy gave great Offence to those that were now
in the sending them to him it was uncertain Some suspected Grimbold himself but others rather the Messenger for it would not enter into Shipside's Head that Grimbold should play such a Iudas's part CHAP. XII A Parliament Pole reconciles the Realm GREAT Care was now to be taken of getting Parliament-men that might do what was to be laid before them now the Pope's Legat was to be received and the last Parliament failing Expectation Therefore Letters were dispatched from the Queen and Interests made all the Nation over to procure such Persons to be elected as should be named to them In a Manuscript containing divers Orders that were sent into Norfolk in Q. Mary's Time there is a Letter from that Queen Anno 2 o dated Octob. 6 to the Earl of Sussex directing him to assist in choosing such Men to sit in Parliament As were of Wise Grave and Catholick sort such as indeed meant the true Honour of God with the Prosperity of the Nation The Advancement whereof We as the Letter runneth and our dear Husband the King do chiefly profess and intend without alteration of any Man 's particular Possession as amongst other false Rumors the hinderers of our good Purposes and favourers of Heresies do most utterly report For to make the intent of restoring the Abby-Lands to be the less credited it was thought convenient to be laid upon the Hereticks With these general Letters there seemed to go private Instructions what particular Men were to be set up For upon the aforesaid Letter the Earl of Sussex sent a Letter Octob. 14 to Sir Tho. Woodhouse High Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk and to Sir William Woodhouse about the Elections of Knights of those Shires viz. That they should reserve their Interests and Voices for such as he should name and that he would soon consult with them about the Matter He then in pursuit of the Queen's Letter recommended to the Bailiff of Yarmouth Iohn Millicent to be elected Burgess for that Town This Parliament sate Novemb. 11. Cardinal Pole was this Summer brought to Flanders by the Emperor who had stayed him before on the Way The Queen sent over the Lord Paget and the Lord Hastings to the Cardinal to conduct him over in quality of the Pope's Legate And the same day he landed at Dover which was Novemb. 21. the Bill past for the taking off his Attainder Three days after he came to London and so to Lambeth-house Which was ready prepared for his coming Cardinal Pole before he came into England and in the last Reign had the reputation here ordinarily of a vertuous sober and learned Man and was much beloved by the English Nation as well for his Qualities as his honourable Extraction Latimer in one of his Sermons before K. Edward hath these words of him I never remember that Man speaking of Pole but I remember him with a heavy Heart a Witty Man a Learned Man a Man of a Noble House so in favour that if he had tarried in the Realm and would have conformed himself to the King's Proceedings I heard say and I believe it verily he had been Bishop of York at this Day And he would have done much good in that part of the Realm For those Quarters have always had need of Learned Men and a preaching Prelate One great Author the Cardinal much conversed in was S. Hierom. Latimer wished That he would have followed S. Hierom in his Exposition of that Place Come out of her my People Where that Father understood it of Rome and called that City The purple Whore of Babylon Almighty God saith Get you from it get you from Rome saith Hierom. It were subjoined Latimer more commendable to go from it than to go to it as Pole hath done Soon after his return into England he was mighty busy in reconciling the Realm to the Pope He performed it in his own Person to the Parliament on the thirtieth of November with much Solemnity and to the Convocation on the sixth of December On which day the Parliament being dissolved he the Lord Legate sent for the whole Convocation of Upper and Lower House to Lambeth And there he absolved them all from their Perjuries Schisms and Heresies Which Absolution they received upon their Knees Then he gave them an Exhortation and congratulated their Conversion and so they departed Ianuary 23. Upon the dismission of the Convocation the Bishops and inferior Clergy waited again upon the Legate at Lambeth Where he willed them all to repair to their Cures and Charges and exhorted them to entreat their Flocks with all Mildness and to endeavor to win them by Gentleness rather than by Extremity and Rigor and so let them depart Ianuary 28. He granted a Commission to the Bp of VVinchester and divers other Bishops to sit upon and judg according to the Laws lately revived against Hereticks all such Ministers and others that were in Prison for Heresy Which was done undoubtedly to take off all the eminentest of the Protestant Clergy then in hold And the very same day such haste they made they sat in Commission in S. Mary Overies Church upon Rogers Hoper and Cardmaker And the next to that upon Hoper and Rogers again upon Taylor also and Bradford when the two former were formally excommunicated The day following they sat upon Taylor and Bradford again to which were added Ferrar Crome and Saunders Then they excommunicated Bradford and Saunders But that this Reconciliation to the Pope and Church of Rome might sound the louder in all Parts and Corners of the Nation and all Persons every where might make their formal Submissions to the Pope and thankfully take the mighty Benefit of his Yoke upon them again the Legate was not contented to reconcile the Nation himself under their Representatives in the Parliament and Convocation but upon pretence that he could not in his own Person pardon and reconcile all the People therefore he granted out a Commission to each Bishop in his own Diocess to do it to their respective Clergy and Laity deputed in his Name and by his Authority derived from the Pope Such a Commission he granted February 8 to the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury that See being then held Vacant Therein authorizing them to absolve all manner of Persons as well Lay as Ecclesiasticks Religious as Secular from their Schism Heresies and Errors and from all Censures due thereupon And to dispense with the Clergy upon divers Irregularities as with such who had received Orders from Schismatical Bishops or had been collated into their Livings by them To dispense also with the Religious and Regulars for departing from their Cloisters without the Pope's Licence permitting them to wear the Habit of Priests and to serve Cures considering the scarcity of Priests and to live out of their Cloisters Also to dispense with Priests that had married Wives though they were Widows or Women defiled and with such who had been twice married doing
this Time by a pious Italian to his Friend who had conceived these good Opinions of him This I have put in the Appendix and the rather because it will give some Light into our present History CHAP. XIII A Convocation Articles framed therein AT a Convocation the latter end of this Year an Address was made by the Lower House to the Upper wherein they petitioned for divers things in 28 Articles meet to be considered for the Reformation of the Clergy One whereof was That all Books both Latin and English concerning any heretical erroneous or slanderous Doctrines might be destroyed and burnt throughout the Realm And among these Books they set Thomas Cranmer late Arch-bishop of Canterbury his Book made against the Sacrament of the Altar in the forefront and then next the Schismatical Book as they called it viz. the Communion-Book To which they subjoined the Book of ordering Ecclesiastical Ministers and all suspect Translations of the Old and New Testament and all other Books of that nature So that if Cranmer's Book was burnt it was burnt with very good Company the Holy Bible and the Communion-Book And that such as had these Books should bring the same to the Ordinary by a certain Day or otherwise to be taken and reputed as Favourers of those Doctrines And that it might be lawful for all Bishops to make enquiry from time to time for such Books and to take them from the Owners And for the repressing of such pestilent Books Order should be taken with all speed that none such should be printed or sold within the Realm nor brought from beyond Sea upon grievous Penalties And from another Article we may learn from what Spring all the Bloody Doings that followed the ensuing Years sprang namely from the Popish Clergy For they petitioned That the Statutes made in the fifth of Richard II. and in the second of Henry IV. and the second of Henry V. against Heresy Lollards and false Preachers might be revived and put in force And that Bishops and other Ecclesiastical Ordinaries whose Hands had been tied by some later Acts might be restored to their pristine Jurisdiction against Hereticks Schismaticks and their Fautors in as large and ample manner as they were in the first Year of Henry VIII I shall not recite here the whole Address as I find it in a Volume of the Benet-College Library because the Bishop of Sarum hath faithfully printed it thence in his History Only I observe that the 17 th Article is in the Manuscript scratched out and crossed viz. That all exempt Places whatsoever might be from henceforth under the Jurisdiction of the Arch-bishop or Bishop or Arch-deacon in whose Diocesses or Arch-deaconaries they were That they judged might grate a little too much upon the Pope's Authority which they were now receiving since these Exemptions were made by Popes And the last or 28 th Article was added by another Hand viz. That all Ecclesiastical Persons that had lately spoiled Cathedral Collegiate or other Churches of their own Heads might be compelled to restore them and all singular things by them taken away or to the true value and to reedify such things as by them were destroyed or defaced This I suppose was added by Boner's Interest that he might hereby have a pretence against Ridley his Predecessor it affording a fair opportunity to crush the good Bishops and Preachers that had in Zeal to God's Glory taken away out of their Churches all Instruments of Superstition and Idolatry And it might serve their turn who had lately in a most barbarous manner plundered the rich Arch-bishop of York And as they of this Convocation were for burning Hereticks Books so they were as well disposed to the burning of the Hereticks themselves For Protestants were already not only imprisoned but put to Death without any Warrant of Law but only by virtue of Commissions from the Queen and the Lord Chancellor Whereupon when one in the Convocation started this Objection That there was no Law to condemn them Weston the Prolocutor answered It forceth not for a Law We have a Commission to proceed with them and when they be dispatched let their Friends sue the Law CHAP. XIV The Condition of the Protestants in Prison Free-Willers BY this time by the diligence of the Papists the Popish Religion was fully established in England This Apostacy Cranmer saw with a sad Heart before his Death and all his Labour overturned And Ridley sends the bad News of it from Oxon to Grindal beyond Sea in these words To tell you much naughty Matter in a few words Papismus apud nos ubique in pleno suo antiquo robore regnat As for the Protestants some were put in Prisons some escaped beyond Sea some went to Mass and some recanted and many were burned and ended their Lives in the Flames for Religion's sake They that were in Prison whereof Cranmer was the chief being the Pastors and Teachers of the Flock did what in them lay to keep up the Religion under this Persecution among the Professors Which made them write many comfortable and instructive Letters to them and send them their Advices according as Opportunity served One thing there now fell out which caused some disturbance among the Prisoners Many of them that were under restraint for the Profession of the Gospel were such as held Free-will tending to the derogation of God's Grace and refused the Doctrine of Absolute Predestination and Original Sin They were Men of strict and holy Lives but very hot in their Opinions and Disputations and unquiet Divers of them were in the King's-Bench where Bradford and many other Gospellers were Many whereof by their Conferences they gained to their own Perswasions Bradford had much discourse with them The Name of their chief Man was Harry Hart Who had writ something in defence of his Doctrine Trew and Abingdon were Teachers also among them Kemp Gybson and Chamberlain were others They ran their Notions as high as Pelagius did and valued no Learning and the Writings and Authorities of the Learned they utterly rejected and despised Bradford was apprehensive that they might now do great Haâ—m in the Church and therefore out of Prison wrote a Letter to Cranmer Ridley and Latimer the three chief Heads of the Reformed though Oppressed Church in England to take some Cognizance of this Matter and to consult with them in remedying it And with him joined Bishop Ferrar Rowland Taylor and Iohn Philpot. This Letter worthy to be read may be found among the Letters of the Martyrs and transcribed in the Appendix Upon this Occasion Ridley wrote a Treatise of God's Election and Predestination And Bradford wrote another upon the same Subject and sent it to those three Fathers in Oxâ—ord for their Approbation and theirs being obtained the rest of the eminent Divines in and about London were ready to sign it also I have seen another Letter of Bradford to
I find in a Supplication made to Queen Elizabeth by Ralph Morice that had been his Secretary for the space of twenty Years During which time he was employed by that most Reverend Father in writing for him about the serious Affairs of the Prince and Realm committed unto him by those most noble and worthy Princes King Henry VIII and King Edward VI concerning as well the Writings of those great and weighty Matrimonial Causes of the said K. Henry VIII as also about the extirpation of the Bishop of Rome his usurped Power and Authority the Reformation of corrupt Religion and Ecclesiastical Laws and Alteration of Divine Service and of divers and sundry Conferences of Learned Men for the Establishing and Advancement of sincere Religion with such like Wherein he said he was most painfully occupied in writing of no small Volumes from time to time CHAP. XXIII The Arch-bishop's Regard to Learned Men. FROM these truly Noble and Useful Exercises of his great Knowledg and Learning let us descend unto the Respect he bare to good Letters Which appeared from his Favour to Places of Learning and Men of Learning We shewed before what were the Applications of the University of Cambridg to him and what a gracious Patron he was to it and its Members Among whose good Offices to that University besides those already mentioned it must not be omitted that he was the great Instrument of placing there those two very Learned Foreign Divines Paulus Fagius and Martin Bucer By his frequent Letters to them then at Strasburg urging them with the distracted and dangerous State of Germany he first brought them over into England in the Year 1548 and having entertained them in his Family the next Year he preferred them both in Cambridg Fagius to be publick Professor of the Hebrew Tongue and Bucer of Divinity And beside the University-Salary he procured for each of them from the King in the third Year of his Reign Patents for an Honorary Stipend of an hundred Pounds per Annum each De gratiâ speciali Domini Regis to be paid by the Hands of the Clerk of the Hanaper or out of the Treasury of the Court of Augmentations Durante beneplacito Domini Regis As I find by King Edward the Sixth's Book of Sales formerly mentioned Which Patents bare date Septemb. 26. Anno 1549. and their Salaries payable from the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin By the way I do not see any where in the said Book of Sales that Peter Martyr placed Professor of Divinity in the other University of Oxon enjoyed any such Royal Salary though he also had been invited over by Canterbury with the King's Knowledg and Allowance and placed there by that Arch-bishop's Means Yet he and his Companion Ochinus had their Annual Allowances from the King and so I suppose had all other Learned Foreigners here Melancthon also who was now expected over was intended some more extraordinary Gratuity Unto this Noble Christian Hospitality and Liberality Latimer the great Court-Preacher excited the King in one of his Sermons before him The Passage may deserve to be repeated I hear say Master Melancthon that great Clerk should come hither I would wish him and such as he is two hundred Pounds a Year The King should never want it in his Coffers at the Year's end There is yet among us two great Learned Men Petrus Martyr and Bernard Ochin which have an hundred Mark a piece I would the King would bestow a thousand Pounds on that Sort. These Matters I doubt not were concerted between Latimer and our Arch-bishop before at whose Palace he now was for the most part As I find by one of his Sermons wherein he speaks of his taking Boat at Lambeth and in another Place he mentioneth a Book he met with in my Lord of Canterbury's Library and elsewhere of many Suitors that applied to him at my Lord of Canterbury's that interrupted his Studies there The use I make of this is that it is a fair Conjecture hence that this and the many other excellent Things so plainly propounded by this Preacher to King Edward happened by the Counsel and Suggestion of the Arch-bishop But to return There was one Dr. William Mowse a Civilian and probably one of his Officers whom for his Merits and Learning our Arch-bishop for many a Year had been a special Benefactor to Sir Iohn Cheke also bare him a very good Will Upon the removal of Dr. Haddon to some other Preferment this Dr. Mowse succeeded Master of Trinity-hall in Cambridg And in the Year 1552 the Arch-bishop valuing his Worth and Integrity was a Suitor at Court for some further Preferment for him whatever it were which the Study of the Civil Law had qualified him for writing his Letters on Mowse's behalf to Secretary Cecyl who was then with the King in his Progress not to forget him And accordingly he was remembred and obtained the Place For which the Arch-bishop afterwards gave him his most hearty Thanks And Dr. Mowse also sent the same Secretary a Letter of Thanks from Cambridg for the Preferment he had obtained by his Means The main Drift thereof was to excuse himself for his Neglect in that he had not sooner paid his Acknowledgments Which as it seems the Secretary had taken some notice of having expected to be thanked for the Kindness he had done him This Letter because there is therein mention made of our Arch-bishop's singular Munificence and Cheke's Affection towards him and Mowse himself once making a Figure in that University I have thought it not amiss to insert in the Appendix Though this Man seemed to be none of the steadiest in his Religion For I find him put out of his Mastership of Trinity-Hall in the beginning of Queen Mary's Reign for having been a Protestant and to make way for the Restoration of Dr. Gardiner Bishop of Winchester who had been outed before Upon whose Death that Mastership falling void and Mowse having complied with the Romish Religion he became Master there again And soon after in Queen Elizabeth's Reign he was deprived by her Commissioners for being a Papist and one Harvey came in his Room Dr. Mowse's Fickleness appeared that upon the first tidings that fled to Cambridg of Queen Mary's Success against the Lady Iane's Party he with several other temporizing University-Men changed his Religion and in four and twenty Hours was both Protestant and Papist The Truth is his Judgment varied according to his worldly Interest And being one of those that came about so roundly he was appointed by the complying Party of the University to be one of the two Dr. Hatcher being the other that should repair unto Dr. Sands then the Vice-Chancellor to demand of him without any colour of Reason or Authority the University-Books the Keys and such other things as were in his keeping And so they did And my Author makes an Observation of his Ingratitude as well as of
losing of Promotion nor hope of Gain or winning of Favour could move him to relent or give place unto the Truth of his Conscience As experience thereof well appeared as well in defence of the true Religion against the Six Articles in the Parliament as in that he offered to combate with the Duke of Northumberland in K. Edward's Time speaking then on behalf of his Prince for the staying of the Chauntries until his Highness had come unto lawful Age and that especially for the maintenance of his better State then But if at his Prince's Pleasure in case of Religion at any time he was forced to give place that was done with such humble Protestation and so knit up for the safeguard of his Faith and Conscience that it had been better his Good-will had never been requested than so to relent or give over as he did Which most dangerously besides sundry times else he especially attempted when the Six Articles past by Parliament and when my L. Crumwel was in the Tower At what time the Book of Articles of our Religion was new penned For even at that Season the whole Rabblement which he took to be his Friends being Commissioners with him forsook him and his Opinion and Doctrine And so leaving him Post alone revolted altogether on the part of Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester As by Name Bishop Hethe Shaxton Day and all other of the meaner sort By whom these so named were chiefly advanced and preferred unto Dignities And yet this sudden Inversion notwithstanding God gave him such Favour with his Prince that Book altogether past by his Assertion against all their Minds More to be marvelled at the Time considered than by any Reason to compass how it should come to pass For then would there have been laid thousands of Pounds to Hundreds in London that he should before that Synod had been ended have been shut up in the Tower beside his Friend the Lord Crumwel Howbeit the King's Majesty having an assured and approved affiance of his both deep Knowledg in Religion and Fidelity both to God and Him suspected in that time other Men in their Judgments not to walk uprightly nor sincerely For that some of them swerved from their former Opinions in Doctrine And having great experience of the constancy of the Lord Cranmer it drave him all along to join with the said Lord Cranmer in the confirmation of his Opinion and Doctrin against all the rest to their great Admiration For at all Times when the King's Majesty would be resolved in any Doubt or Question he would but send word to my Lord over Night and by the next Day the King would have in writing brief Notes of the Doctors Minds as well Divines as Lawyers both Old and New with a Conclusion of his own Mind Which he could never get in such a readiness of any no not of all his Chaplains and Clergy about him in so short a Time For being thorowly seen in all kinds of Expositors he could incontinently lay open thirty forty sixty or more some whiles of Authors And so reducing the Notes of them altogether would advertise the King more in one Day than all his Learned Men could do in a Month. And it was no mervail for it was well known that commonly if he had not Business of the Prince's or special urgent Causes before him he spent three parts of the Day in Study as effectually as he had done at Cambridg And therefore it was that the King said on a time to the Bishop of Winchester the King and my said Lord of Winchester defending together that the Canons of the Apostles were of as good Authority as the four Evangelists contrary to my Lord Cranmer's Assertion My Lord of Canterbury said the King is too old a Truant for us twain Again His Estimation was such with his Prince that in Matters of great Importance wherein no Creature durst once move the King for fear of Displeasure or moving the King's Patience or otherwise for troubling his Mind then was my Lord Cranmer most violently by the whole Council obtruded and thrust out to undertake that Danger and Peril in Hand As beside many other times I remember twice he served the Council's Expectation The first time was when he staied the King 's determinate Mind and Sentence in that he fully purposed to send the Lady Mary his Daughter unto the Tower and there to suffer as a Subject because She would not obey the Laws of the Realm in refusing the Bishop of Rome's Authority and Religion Whose stay in that behalf the King then said unto the Lord Cranmer would be to his utter Confusion at the length The other dangerous Attempt was in the disclosing the unlawful Behaviour of Queen Katharine Howard towards the King in keeping unlawful Company with Durrant her Servant For the King's Affection was so mervailously set upon that Gentlewoman as it was never known that he had the like to any Woman So that no Man durst take in Hand to open to him that Wound being in great perplexity how he would take it And then the Council had no other Refuge but unto my Lord Cranmer Who with over-much Importunity gave the Charge which was done with such Circumspection that the King gave over his Affections unto Reason and wrought mervellous colourably for the Trial of the same Now as concerning the Manner and Order of his Hospitality and House-keeping As he was a Man abandoned from all kind of Avarice so was he content to maintain Hospitality both liberally and honourably and yet not surmounting the Limits of his Revenues Having more respect and foresight unto the Iniquity of the Times being inclined to pull and spoil from the Clergy than to his own private Commodity For else if he had not so done he was right sure that his Successors should have had as much Revenues left unto them as were left unto the late Abbies Especially considering that the Lands and Revenues of the said Abbies being now utterly consumed and spread abroad and for that there remained no more Exercise to set on work or no Officers but Surveyors Auditors and Receivers it was high time to shew an Example of liberal Hospitality For although these said Workmen only brought up and practised in subverting of Monastical Possessions had brought that kind of Hospitality unto utter Confusion yet ceased they not to undermine the Prince by divers Perswasions for him also to overthrow the honourable State of the Clergy And because they would lay a sure Foundation to build their Purpose upon they found the Means to put into the King's Head That the Arch-bishop of Canterbury kept no Hospitality or House correspondent unto his Revenues and Dignity but sold his Woods and by great Incomes and Fines made Money to purchase Lands for his Wife and Children And to the intent that the King should with the more facility believe this Information Sir Thomas Seymor the
have brought it to pass But I verily believe the quite contrary to this confident Assertion and that he would have owned the Truth to the last as he did afterwards in the Reign of that King's Daughter Q. Mary That he always fell jump with them that governed and could do most No he never fell in with Gardiner who sometime had the Ascendent over King Henry nor with the Duke of Northumberland who could do most and did all for a time with the King Edward That when King Henry was large towards the Protestants Cranmer was so also joining with Crumwel to protect them But when the King became more strait and rigorous especially after the Six Articles Cranmer was ready to prosecute the same He argued long and earnestly in the House against those Six Articles and when he saw they would pass he protested against it and was so troubled about it that the King sent the Duke of Norfolk and the Lord Crumwel and divers other Noble Persons to comfort him in the King's Name So that I hardly think he would after this be brought to prosecute that bloody Act the making of which he so utterly disliked Nor is there the least Foot-step of it in History Indeed Parsons bringeth in some Persons in whose Deaths he would have the Arch-bishop to have a Hand As may appear saith he by the Sentence of Death pronounced against Lambert Tho. Gerard William Jerome and Ann Ascue and others condemned by him for denying the Real Presence Though in King Henry's Time the Arch-bishop believed the Real Presence yet he was not for putting any to Death that denied it No such extream Rigours for an Error he utterly detested Lambert suffered before the Act of the Six Articles Nor did the Arch-bishop condemn him but only by the King's Command disputed against him Gerard he means Garret and Ierome and Ann Ascue were condemned and burnt indeed but he had no manner of hand either in their Condemnation or Death as we can find in our Histories But Winchester Boner and Wriothesly and others of that Gang shed those good Peoples Blood And it is an impudent Falshood to lay their Condemnation to the Arch-bishop's Charge He saith further That to the King's Will and Liking he resolved to conform himself as well in Religion as in all other Things If he had said this of Bishop Gardiner the Character would have better by far fitted him He saith That he divorced the King of his own Authority from Queen Katherine Whereas in truth what he and Winchester and other Bishops did in this Affair was by Commission from the King and not by their own Authority That he married the King to Queen Ann. That it was in open Parliament under his Hand-writing yet extant in publick printed Records to his eternal shame that the Queen that is Queen Ann was never true Wife unto the said King Where was the eternal Shame of this when he set his Hand to no more than what she her self confessed before him See more of this before That after this he married the King to Jane Seymour and after to Queen Ann of Cleves and after that to Katherine Howard and after that to Katherine Parre Which we must take upon his Word For I think it hard by any good History to know it And what if Cranmer did all this That he joined with the Protector in overthrowing K. Henry 's Will and with Dudley against the Protector Palpable Falshoods The contrary whereof is notoriously known to any ordinary Historian Of the same Truth is That he joined with Dudley and the Duke of Suffolk for the overthrow of the King 's two Daughters and after that with Arundel Pembroke Paget for the overthrow of Northumberland and Suffolk He joined with these for the setting the true Heir in the Throne not for the overthrow of any particular Persons Again he saith Cranmer and Ridley followed K. Henry 's Religion and Humour while he lived and resolved to enjoy the Pleasures and Sensualities of this Time of K. Edward so far as any way they might attain unto No they were Men more mortified and that made littlâ— Account of the Pleasures and Vanities of this wretched World Getting Authority into their Hands by the Protector and others that were in most Place began to lay lustily about them and to pull down all them both of the Clergy and others whom they thought to be able and likely to stand in their way or resist their Inventions Instancing in Gardiner and Boner and speaking of their unjust Persecution and Deprivation by such violent and calumnious manner as is proper to Hereticks to use Whereby a Man may take a taste what they meant to have done if they had had time Here they are set forth as a couple of most worldly ambitious haughty Men contriving by all however base and unlawful ways to build up themselves and their Fortunes upon the Ruin of others and to beat down all that opposed their Designs Whereas to any that shall read their Histories there is nothing in the World so contrary to their Aims Tempers and Inclinations And things were done towards the two Bishops before-mentioned with great Mildness and Patience under unsufferable Provocations offered by them Nor was it Cranmer's and Ridley's doings but rather the King's Council who thought not fit to put up the Affronts those Bishops had offered to the Government He saith That in King Edward 's Time Cranmer plaid the Tyrant That be punished one Thomas Dobb a Master of Arts of Cambridg casting him into the Counter where he died And John Hume imprisoned for the same Cause by Cranmer Both these Passages the Author had from Fox Dobbs indeed in the very beginning of K. Edward's Reign disturbed the Mass that was saying in a Chappel in S. Pauls For which the Mayor complained of him to the Arch-bishop And what could he do better than commit him to the Counter both to punish him for making a publick Disturbance in the Church and also to deliver him from the Rage of the Multitude till his Pardon could be gotten him Which was obtained soon after from the Duke of Somerset But he suddenly died in Prison before his Deliverance And as for Hume he was a Servant to a very stiff Papist who sent him up to the Arch-bishop with a grievous Complaint against him for speaking against the Mass but whether the Arch-bishop imprisoned him or what followed Fox mentioneth not and leaves it uncertain what was done with him He saith That Cranmer stood resolutely for the Carnal Presence in the Sacrament in K. Edward 's first Parliament Wherein a Disputation about it was continued for the space of four Months that is from Novemb 4. to March 14. Which was the full time of the second Session of that first Parliament and was in the Year 1548. What he means by this long Disputation in that Parliament for so many Months I cannot tell Does he mean that the Parliament did nothing else all
that the Generality of the Clergy should with the example of such a few light persons procede to mariage without a common consent of his H. and the Realm doth streitly charge and command that al such as have attempted mariage as also such as wil presumptuously procede in the same not to minister the Sacrament or other Ministery mâ—stical nor have any office cure privilege profit or commodity heretofore accustomed and belonging to the Clergy of the Realm But shal be utterly after such marriage expelled and deprived and be held and reputed as Lay persons to al purposes and intents And that such as after this Proclamation shall of presumptuous minds take wives and be maried shal run into his Graces Indignation and suffer further punishment and imprisonment at his Graces will and plesure NUM IX Bishop Fisher to Secretary Crumwel declaring his willingness to swear to the Succession AFTER my most humble commendations Whereas ye be content that I shold write unto the Kings Highnes in good faith I dread me that I cannot be so circumspect in my writing but that some word shal scape me wherewith his Grace shal be moved to some further displeasure against me wherof I wold be very sorry For as I wil answer before God I wold not in any maner of point offend his Grace my duty saved unto God whom I must in every thing prefer And for this consideration I am ful lothe and ful of fear to write unto his Highnes in this matter Nevertheless sithen I conceive that it is your mind that I shal so do I will endeavour me to the best I can But first here I must beseech you good Master Secretary to cal to your remembrance that at my last being before you and the other Commissioners for taking of the othe concerning the Kings most noble succession I was content to be sworn unto that parcel concerning the Succession And there I did rehearse this reason which I said moved me I doubted not but that the Prince of any Realme with the assent of his Nobles and Commons might appoint for his Succession royal soche an order as was seen unto his Wisdom most according And for this reason I said that I was content to be sworn unto that part of the othe as concerning the Succession This is a very truth as God help my soul at my most nede albeit I refused to swear to some other parcels because that my Conscience wolde not serve me so to do NUM X. Lee Bishop Elect of Litchfield and Coventry to Secretary Crumwel concerning Bp. Fisher. PLeasyth you to be adverted that I have been with my Lord of Rochester who is as ye left him that is to say ready to take his othe for the Succession and to swear never to meddle more in disputation of the validity of the Matrimony or invalidity with the Lady Dowager but that utterly to refuse For as for the case of the prohibition Levitical his conscience is so knit thaâ— he cannot send it off from him whatsoever betide him And yet he wil and doth profess his Allegiance to our Soveraign Lord the King during his life Truly the man is nigh going and doubtless cannot continue unles the King and his Council be merciful unto him For the body cannot bear the clothes on his back as knoweth God Who preserve you In hast scribbled by your own most bounden Roland Co. Litch electus confirmatus NUM XI The Archbishop to Secretary Crumwel in behalf of Bp. Fisher and Sr. Thomas More Right Worshipful Master Crumwel AFTER most hearty Commendations c. I doubt not but you do right wel remembre that my Lord of Rochester and Master More were contented to be sworn to the Act of the Kings Succession but not to the Preamble of the same What was the cause of thair refusal thereof I am uncertain and they wold by no means express the same Nevertheless it must nedis be either the diminution of the authority of the Bushop of Rome or ells the reprobation of the Kings first pretensed Matrimony But if they do obstinately persist in thair opinions of the Preamble yet me semeth it scholde not be refused if they wil be sworne to the veray Act of Succession so that they wil be sworne to maintene the same against al powers and potentates For hereby shal be a great occasion to satisfy the Princess Dowager and the Lady Mary which do think they sholde dampne thair sowles if they sholde abandon and relinquish thair astates And not only it sholde stop the mouths of thaym but also of th' Emperor and other thair friends if thay geve as moche credence to my Lord of Rochester and Master More spekyng and doinge against thaym as they hitherto have done and thought that al other sholde have done whan they spake and did with thaym And peradventure it sholde be a good quietation to many other within this reaulm if such men sholde say that the Succession comprized within the said Act is good and according to Gods lawes For than I think there is not one within this reaulme that would ones reclaim against it And whereas divers persones either of a wilfulness wil not or of an indurate and invertible conscience cannot altre from thair opinions of the Kings first pretensed mariage wherein they have ones said thair minds and percase have a persuasion in thair heads that if they sholde now vary therefrom thair fame and estimation were distained for ever or ells of the authority of the Busschope of Rome yet if al the Reaulme with one accord wolde apprehend the said succession in my judgment it is a thing to be amplected and imbraced Which thing although I trust surely in God that it shal be brought to pass yet hereunto might not a little avayl the consent and othes of theis two persons the Busschope of Rochester and Master More with thair adherents or rather Confederates And if the Kings pleasure so were thair said othes might be suppressed but whan and whare his Highness might take some commodity by the publyshing of the same Thus our Lord have you ever in his conservation From my maner at Croyden the xvii day of April Your own assured ever Thomas Cantuar. NUM XII Nix Bishop of Norwich to Warham Archbishop of Cant. for suppressing such as read books brought from beyond Sea AFter most humble recommendations I do your Grace to understand that I am accumbred with such as kepyth and readyth these arroneous books in English and beleve and geve credence to the same and techyth others that they shold so do My Lord I have done that lyeth in me for the suppression of soch persons but it passeth my power or any spiritual man for to do it For divers saith openly in my Diocess that the Kinges grace wold that they shold have the said arroneous books and so maintaineth themselves of the King Wherupon I desired my L. Abbot of Hyde to show this
sins or that the veray bare observation of theym in it self is a holines before God Although they be remembrances of many holy things or a disposition unto goodness And evyn so do the lawes of your G's realm dispose men unto justice unto peace and other true and perfect holines Wherfore I did conclude for a general rule that the people ought to observe theym as they do the laws of your G's realm and with no more opinion of holines or remission of sin then the other common Laws of your G's realm Though my two Sermons were long yet I have written briefly unto your Highness the sum of theym both And I was informed by sundry reports that the people were glad that they heard so much as they did until such time as the Prior of the black frears at Canterbury preached a sermon as it was thought and reported clean contrary unto al the three things which I had preached before For as touching the first part which I had preached against the erroneous doctrin of the Bp. of R. his power which error was that by God's Law he should be Gods Vicar here in earth the Prior would not name the Bp. of R. but under color spake generally That the Church of Christ never erred And as touching the second part where I spake of the Vices of the Bishops of R. And there to the Prior said that he would not sclawnder the Bishops of Rome And he said openly to me in a good Audience that he knew no vices by none of the Bishops of Rome And he said also openly that I preached uncharitably whan I said that these many years I had daily prayed unto God that I might see the power of Rome destroyed and that I thanked God that I had now seen it in this realm And yet in my sermon I declared the cause wherfore I so prayed For I said that I perceived the See of Rome work so many things contrary to Gods honor and the wealth of this realm and I saw no hope of amendment so long as that See reigned over us And for this cause onely I had prayed unto God continually that we might be separated from that See and for no private malice or displesure that I had either to the Bp. or See of Rome But this seemed an uncharitable prayer to the Prior that the power of Rome should be destroyed And as for the third part where I preached against the Laws of the Bp. of Rome that they ought not to be taken as Gods Lawes nor to be esteemed so highly as he would have them the Prior craftily leaving out the name of the Bp. of Rome preached that the Lawes of the Church be equal with Gods lawes These things he preached as it is proved both by sufficient witnes and also by his own confession I leave the judgment hereof unto your G. and to your Councel whether this were a defence of the Bp. of Rome or not And I onely according to my bounden duty have reported the truth of the Fact But in mine opinion if he had spoken nothing else yet whosoever saith that the Church never erred maintaineth the Bp. of Rome his power For if that were not erroneous that was taught of his power That he is Christs Vicar in earth and by Gods law Head of al the World spiritual and temporal and that al people must believe that De necessitate Salutis and that whosoever doth any thing against the See of Rome is an heretick and that he hath authority also in Purgatory with such other many false things which were taught in times past to be Articles of our Faith if these things were not erroneous yea and errors in the Faith then must nedis your G's Laws be erroneous that pronounce the Bp. of Rome to be of no more power by Gods Law than other Bishops and theym to be Traitors that defend the contrary This is certain that whosoever saith that the Church never erred must either deny that the church ever taught any such errors of the Bp. of Rome his power and then they speak against that which al the world knoweth and al books written of that matter these three or four hundred years do testifie or else they must say that the said errors be none errors but truths And then it is both treason and heresy At my first Examination of him which was before Christmas he said that he preached not against me nor that I had preached any thing amiss But now he saith that I preached amiss in very many things and that he purposely preached against me And this he reporteth openly By which words I am marvellously sclawndered in these parts And for this cause I beseech your G. that I may not have the judgment of the cause for so moch as he taketh me for a party but that your G. would commit the hearing therof unto my L. Privy Seal or else to associate unto me some other persons at your G's plesure that we may hear the case joyntly together If this man who hath so highly offended your G. and preached against me openly being Ordinary and Metropolitane of this Province and that in soch matters as concerne the misliving and the laws of the Bp. of Rome and that also within mine own church if he I say be not looked upon I leave unto your G's prudence to expend what example this may be unto others with like colour to maintain the Bp. of Rome his authority and also of what estimation I shal be reputed hereafter and what credence shal be given unto my preaching whatsoever I shal say hereafter I beseech your G. to pardon me of my long and tedious writing For I could not otherwise set the matter forth plaine And I most heartily thank your G. for the Stag which your G. sent unto me from Wyndsor Forest. Which if your G. knew for how many causes it was welcome unto me and how many ways it did me service I am sure you would think it moch the better bestowed Thus our Lord have you Highness alwayes in his preservation and governance From Ford the xxvj day of August Your Graces most humble Chaplain and bedisman T. Cantuarien NUM XIV The Archbishop to Mr. Secretary Crumwel concerning his styling himself Primate of al England RIght worshipful in my most harty wise I commend me unto you Most hartily thanking you for that you have signified unto me by my Chaplain Mr. Champion the complaint of the Bp. of Winchester unto the Kings Highnes in two things concerning my Visitation The one is that in my style I am written Totius Angliae Primas to the derogation and prejudice of the Kings high power and authority being Supreme Head of the Church The other is that his Dioces not past five years agone was visited by my Predecessor and must from henceforth pay the tenth part of the Spiritualties according to the Act granted in the last Sessions of Parlament Wherfore he thinketh that his
Diocess should not be charged with my Visitation at this time First as concerning my style Wherein I am named Totius Angliae Primas I suppose that to make his cause good which else indeed were naught he doth mix it with the King's cause As ye know the man lacketh neither learning in the law neither witty invention ne craft to set forth his matters to the best that he might appear not to maintain his own cause but the Kings Against whose Highnes he knoweth right wel that I wil maintain no cause but give place and lay both my cause and my self at my Princes feet But to be plain what I think of the Bp. of Winchester I cannot persuade with my self that he so much tendereth the Kings cause as he doth his own that I should not visit him And that appeareth by the veray time For if he cast no further then the defence of the Kings G's authority or if he intend that at al why moved he not the matier before he received my Monition for my Visitation Which was within four miles of Winchester delivered unto him the xxii day of April last as he came up to the Court. Moreover I do not a little mervayl why he should now find fault rather then he did before when he took the Bp. of Rome as chief Head For though the Bp. of R. was taken for Supreme Head notwithstanding that he had a great number of Primates under him And by having his Primates under him his Supreme authority was not less esteemed but much the more Why then may not the Kings Highnes being Supreme Head have Primates under him without a diminishing but with the augmenting of his said Supreme Authority And of this I doubt not at all but the Bp. of Winchester knoweth as well as any man living that in case this said style or title had been in any poynt impediment or hindrance to the Bp. of Rome's usurped authority it would not have so long been unreformed as it hath been For I doubt not but all the Bushops of England would ever gladly have had the Archbushops both authority and title taken away that they might have been equal together Which well appeareth by the many contentions against the Archbushops for jurisdiction in the Court of Rome Which had be easily brought to pass if the Bushops of R. had thought the Archbushops titles and styles to be an erogation to their Supreme authority Al this notwithstanding if the Bushops of this realm pas no more of their names styles and titles then I do of mine the Kings Highnes shal soon order the matier betwixt us al. And if I saw that my style were against the Kings authority whereunto I am especially sworn I would sue my self unto his G. that I might leave it and so would have done before this time For I pray God never be merciful unto me at the general judgment if I perceive in my heart that I set more by any title name or style that I write then I do by the paring of an apple further then it shal be to the setting forth of Gods word and will Yet I wil not utterly excuse me herein For God must be judge who knoweth the bottome of my heart and so do not I my self But I speak for so much as I do feel in my heart For many evil affections ly lurking there and wil not lightly be espied But yet I would not gladly leave any just thing at the pleasure and suite of the Bp. of Wynchester he being none otherwise affectionate unto me than he is Even at the Beginning of Christs profession Diotrephes desired gerere primatum in Ecclesia as saith S. Iohn in his last Epistle And since he hath had mo successors than al the Apostles had Of whom have come al these glorious titles styles and pomps into the Church But I would that I and al my Brethren the Bushops would leave al our stiles and write the style of our Offices calling our selves Apostolos Iesâ— Christi so that we took not upon us the name vainly but were so even indeed So that we might order our Diocess in such sort that neither paper parchment lead nor wax but the very Christian Conversation of the people might be the letters and seals of our offices As the Corinthians were unto Paul to whom he said Literae nostrae signa Apostolatus nostri vos estis Now for the second Where the Bp. of Winchester alledgeth the Visitation of my Predecessor and the tenth part now to be payd to the King Truth it is that my Predecessor visited the Dioces of Winchester after the decease of my L. Cardinal Wolsey as he did al other Diocesses Sede Vacante But else I think it was not visited by none of my Predecessors this forty years And notwithstanding that he himself not considering their charges at that time charged them with a new Visitation within less then half a year after and that against al right as Dr. Incent hath reported to my Chancellor the Clergy at that time paying to the King half of their benefices in five years Which is the tenth part every year as they payd before and have payd since and shal pay stil for ever by the last Act. But I am very glad that he hath now some compassion of his Diocess although at that time he had very smal when he did visit them the same year that my Predecessor did visit And al other Bushops whose course is to visit this year kept their Visitations where I did visit the last year notwithstanding the tenth part to be paid to the Kings G. Howbeit I do not so in Winchester Dioces For it is now the third year since that Diocess was Visited by any man So that he hath the least cause to complain of any Bushop For it is longer since his Dioces was visited then the other Therfore where he layeth to aggravate the matier the charges of the late Act granted it is no more against me then against al other Bushops that do visit this year nor maketh no more against me this year then it made against me the last year and shal do every year hereafter For if they were true men in accounting and paying the Kings Subsidies they are no more charged by this new Act then they were for the space of ten years past and shal be charged ever hereafter And thus to conclude if my said L. of Winchesters objections should be allowed this year he might by such arguments both disallow al maner Visitations that hath bee done these ten years past and that ever shal be done hereafter Now I pray you good Master Secretary of your advise whether I shal need to write unto the Kings Highnes herein And thus our Lord have you ever in his preservation At Otteford the 12 day of May. Your own ever assured Thomas Cantuar. NUM XV. The Appeal of Stokesly Bishop of London to the King against the Archbishops Visitation Contra
satis tentatum est hactenus Et nisi super firmam petram fuisset firmiter aedificata jam dudum cum magnae ruinae fragore cecidisset Dici non potest quantum haec tam cruenta controversia cum per universum orbem Christianum tum maxime apud nos bene currenti verbo Evangelij obstiterit Vobis ipsis affert ingens periculum caeteris omnibus praebet non dicendum offendiculum Quo circa si me audietis hortor suadeo imo vos oro obsecro visceribus Iesu Christi obtestor adjuro uti concordiam procedere coire sinatis in illam confirmandam totis viribus incumbatis pacémque Dei tandem quae superat omnem sensum Ecclesijs permittatis ut Evangelicam doctrinam unam sanam puram cum primitivae Ecclesiae disciplina consonam junctis viribus quam maximè propagemus Facile vel Turcas ad Evangelij nostri obedientiam converterimus modo intra nosmetipsos consentiamus pia quadam conjuratione conspiremus At si ad hunc modum pergimus ad invicem contendere commordere timendum erit ne quod dicens abominor juxta comminationem Apostolicam ad invicem consumamur Habes Optime Vadiane meam de tota controversia illa neutiquam fictam sententâ—am una cum admonitione libera ac fideli Cui si obtemperaveris non modo inter amicos sed etiam vel inter amicissimos mihi nomen tuum ascripsero Bene vale T. Cantuariens NUM XXVI Part of a Letter from a Member of Parlament concerning the transactions of the House about passing the Act of the Six Articles AND also news here I assure you never Prince shewed himself so wise a man so wel learned and so Catholic as the King hath done in this Parlament With my pen I cannot express his mervailous goodnes which is come to such effect that we shal have an Act of Parlament so spiritual that I think none shal dare say in the blessed Sacrament of the Altar doth remain either bread or wine after the Consecration Nor that a Priest may have a wife Nor that it is necessary to receive our Maker sub utraque specie Nor that private Masses should not be used as they have bee Nor that it is not necessary to have Auricular confession And notwithstanding my L. of Canterbury my L. of Ely my L. of Salisbury my L. of Worcester Rochester and St. Davyes defended the contrary long time Yet finally his Highness confounded them all with Gods learning York Durham Winchester and Carlile have shewed themselves honest and wel learned men We of the Temporalty have be al of one opinion And my L. Chancellor and my L. Privy Seal as good as we can devise My L. of Cant. and al his Bishops have given their opinion and come in to us save Salisbury who yet continueth a leud fool Finally al in England have cause to thank God and most heartily to rejoyce of the Kings most godly procedings Without any name subscribed NUM XXVII The Solution of some Bishop to certain Questions about the Sacraments The King's Animadversions of his own hand The Questions The Answers Why then should we cal them so 1. What a Sacrament is 1. Scripture useth the word but it defineth it not 2. What a Sacrament is by the antient Authors 2. In them is found no perfect definition but a general Declaration of the word as a token of a holy thing  3. How many Sacraments be there by the Scripture 3. So named onely Matrimony in effect moo and at the least seven as we find the Scripture expounded Why these Seven to have the name more than al the rest 4. How many Sacraments be there by the antient Authors 4. Authors use the word Sacrament to signify any Mystery in the old or new Testament But especially be noted Baptism Eucharist Matrimony Chrism Impositio manuum Ordo Here is omitted Penance Then why hath theChurch so long erred to take upon them so to name them 5. Whether this word Sacrament be and ought to be attribute to the Seven only 5. The word bycause it is general is attribute to other than the Seven But whether it ought especially to be applied to the Seven only God knoweth and hath not fully revealed it so as it hath been received Whether the Seven Sacraments be found in any of the old Authors or not The thing of al is found but not named al Sacraments as afore  6. Whether the determinate number of seven Sacraments be a doctrin either of the scripture or the old Authors and so to be taught 6. The doctrine of Scripture is to teach the thing without numbring or naming the name Sacrament saving only Matrimony Old Authors number not precisely Twelve Articles of the Faith not numbred in Scripture ne Ten Commandments but rather one Dilectio Seven petitions Seven Deadly sinns * Then Penance is changed to a new term i. e. Absolution Of Penance I read that without it we cannot be saved after relapse but not so of Absolution And Penance to sinners is commanded but Absolution yea in open crimes is left free to the Askers †Laying of hands being an old ceremony of the Church is but a small proof of Confirmation 7. What is found in scripture of the matter nature effect and vertue of such as we cal the seven Sacraments So although the name be not in Scripture yet whether the thing be in Scripture or no and in what wise spoken 7. First of Baptism manifestly Scripture speaketh Secondly Of the holy communion manifestly Thirdly Of Matrimony manifestly 4. Of Absolution * manifestly 5. Of Bishops Priests and Deacons ordered per impositionem manuum cum Oratione expresly 6. Laying †of the Hands of the Bp. after Baptism which is a part of that is done in Confirmation is grounded in Scripture 7. Unction of the sick and prayer is grounded on scripture This answer is not direct and yet it proveth nother of the two poynts to be grounded in scripture 8. Whether Confirmation cum Chrismate of them that be baptized be found in Scripture 8. The thing of Confirmation is found in scripture though the name Confirmation is not there Of Chrisma Scripture speaketh not expressly but it hath been had in high veneration and observed since the beginning  9. Whether the Apostles lacking higher power and not having a Christen King among them made Bishops by that necessity or by authority given them of God 9. The calling naming appointment and preferment of one before another to be Bishop or Priest had a necessity to be done in that sort a Prince wanting  The Ordering appeareth taught by the holy Ghost in the Scripture per manuum impositionem cum oratione  10. Whether Bps or Priests were first And if the Priests were first then the Priest made the Bishop 10. Bishops or not after  11. Whether a Bishop hath authority to make a Priest by the Scripture or
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
quandoquidem ex ijs locis ubi nunc est in hac temporum asperitate non ita commodè potest ipse ad vos dare literas Quod cum ità sit nolui hoc officium praetermittere ut de ipsius apud vos observantia studióque perpetuo cognosci posset Quanquam ipse pro meo in vos affectu mea sponte scripturus eram spero vos in optimam partem haec accepturos esse quae fortasse jam aliundè etiam accepistis Attamen quia rebus ipsemet tractandis interfui Tridenti puto vobis tanto futuram esse gratiorem hanc qualemcúnque narrationem Quod superest ut meum negotium quod aliquot nunc annis agitatur de quo Reverendiss D. Cantuariensis anno superiori Socero meo certum quid dixit promoveas Vir ornatissime etiam atque etiam rogo Sereniss Rex constituit mihi sicut Cantuariensis dixit Socero annuos ducentos absenti Ut ejus rei conficiatur Diploma magnoperè peâ—o sicut hactenus eámque mihi pecuniam dependi flagito Scis rem omnem haud dubiè aâ—ioqui prolixior essem priusquam irem Tridentum scripsi eâ de re D. Chaeco sicut etiam Reverendiss D. Cantuariensi Nihil hactenus mihi responsum est à vobis quo magis peto ut per te certi aliquid cognoscam In eo feceris Socero mihique gratissimum Vale. Argent xviii April 1552. Ioan. Sleidanus Licent Has literas oro communices Reverendissimo D. Cantuar. Nam sic scribo ad ipsum Per Richardum Hillis mercatorem vestratem rectè poteritis ad nos nisi alia sit ratio commodior Clarissimo Viro D. Checo plurimùm officiosè me commendo NUM CII Martin Bucer to the Secretary for the speeding of Sleidan's business Summâ dignitate viro pietate praecellenti D. Sicilio Regiae Majestatis a Secretis Domino ac Patrono suo summoperè colendo S. P. Vir Clarissime Accipies hic meas literas quamlibet aegrè dictatas ad summè doctum pium Medicum D. Ioannem Quercetanum Sed te per Christum rogo nosti supplicationem nostram pro Sleydano si possis ullâ ratione impetrare dari responsum in utram placeat partem Nosti hoc decere administrationem Regni ceteris Religionis beneficio tantoperè ornatam Dominus prosequatur te tuósque omnes beneficentiâ cumulatissimâ Cantabrigiae 18 Feb. M.D.LI. Clarissimae Dominationi tuae deditissimus in Domino M. Bucerus NUM CIII Ralph Morice the Archbishops Secretary his Supplication to Queen Elizabeth for Prior Wilbore's Pension lately deceased To the Quenys most excellent Majestie IN his most humble wise shewith and declarith unto your most exâ—ellent Majestie your highnes humble subject and Orator Raphe Morice sometime servant unto that worthie Prelate of godly memorie Tho. Cranmer late Archbishop of Canterburye That whereas your highnes said Orator for the space of 20 yeres and above being reteynid in service with the said most Reverend father in the rowme of a Secretary bestowed and spent both his time youthe and prosperitye of his life not so much in writing of the private busynes of the said most Reverend father as in travailing with his pen aboughte the serious affaires of the Prince and the Realme commyted unto him by those most noble and wurthie princes K. Henry the eighth and K. Edward the Sixth your Mâ—jesties dere father and brother concernyng aswel the writyng of those great and weightie Matrimonyal causes of your highnes said dere Father the good effecte successe and benefit wherof to Godds gâ—ory this hole realme with the Subjects therof in your highnes most noble and royal personage do now most happilie enjoye As also aboute thexstirpation of the Bishop of Rome his usurped power and authoritie the reformation of corrupte religion and Ecclesiastical Lawes thalteration of Divine Service and of divers and sundry conferences of lernâ—d men for thestablishing and advancement of sincere religion with such like Wherin your highness said Orator most painfullie was occupied in writing of no small Volumes from tyme to tyme. As in that behalf divers lernid men now lyving can testiâ—ie namely Dr. Hethe Dr. Thirleby the Bishopes of Elie Chichester and Heriford And for that the said most Reverend Father was myndeful and desirous some deale to recompence the payneful service of your said Orator he of his own mere motion and good disposition procurid for your highnes said Orator a lease of the parsonage of Ospringe within the Count of Kent ympropriated unto the Colledge of S. Iohns in Cambridge which towardes the mayntenance of your said Orators lyving was better than 40 markes by the yere de claro when Wheat was but a Noble the quarter Which lease of the said parsonage being so grauntid and redie to be sealid by the Master and felowes of the same Colledge one Hâ—â—kyns of the Garde by his y mportunate sute made unto your highnes said dere father the Kinges Majestie so wan his highnes favouâ— therin that his Majestie obteynyd the said Lease to be sealid to the use of the said Hâ—â—kyns His Majestie nevertheles promising unto D. Day then Master of the said Colledge and sone after unto the said most Reverend that his highnes wolde otherwise recompense your said Orator for the same with like valewe or better as the said Hawkyns now lyving can testifie the same This notwithstanding most dere Soveraigne Lady Almighty God preventing the time of any such recompence by calling your highnes said father unto his mercy your highnes said Orator remayneth as yet unrecompenced to his great hinderaunce and ympoverishmente For now being declyned unto age and having 4 daughters left by thair mother marriageable your said Orator is neither of habilitie to bestow them according to his vocation as he might have done yf that small lyving so prâ—pared for him might have remayned to his use Nor hymself to lyve withouten danger onles your Majestie of your benigne great goodnes do extende your highnes liberalitie aide and succour unto hym And for that your highnes said Orator doeth understand that one Mr. Wilbore sometyme Prior of the Monasterie of S. Austens departed this transitorie life before Mighilmas last past who hath a yerelie pension of your Majestie of now by reason of his death in your gracious disposition It may please your highness in consideration of the premisses and for that it is reported that your said most noble and dere father provided and willed in his last testamente that such of his subjects as by his highnes did susteyne any maner of damage or hinderaunce sholde be satisfied for the same to be so good and gracious Soveraigne Lady unto your said Orator in the furtheraunce of his said poor daughters marieges as to graunte unto hym the said pension during his life with tharrerages of this last half yere deu at the said feast of S. Michel tharchangel last past In accomplishing wherof your highnes
authority through the world And considering that the Bp. of Cant. beside al the Courts within his own Diocess keepeth in London a Court at the Arches sufficiently authorized to hear and to determine al causes and complaints appertaining to a Metropolitane why should he require this other Court of the Audience to keep it in London within the Church and jurisdiction of another Bp. except he mâ—nded to call other Bps. obedientially out of their jurisdiction contrary to the Act Or else at the lest forasmuch as this Court is kept within the Church and jurisdiction of London and the Arches Court within the city but not within the jurisdiction if he may not vex the Citizens and Diocesans of London at the Arches without an Appele first from the Ordinary immediately because of the Canon Lawes yet he might pul them to his Audience at Pauls as he did heretofore by his Legacy and yet offend not that Act made anno xxiij That no man shall be called out of his own Diocess And where the ABp saith that the Kings Grace bad him continue that Court stil it is to be marvelled that he then hath not in his Citations and other wrirings of that Court expressed or signified the same as he did cal himself in al his Writings Legatum Apostolicae Sedis long after that Act of the Abolishing NUM XVIII Archbishop Cranmers order concerning the Proctors of the Court of Arches shewn to be inconvenient by a Paper presented to the Parlament as followeth ALthough it be expedient that every thing which any way may be noyful unto the common wele be duely reformed yet is there nothing that should be rather looked upon for Reformation than such abuses as may be occasion of not indifferent ministration of justice Wherfore among so many things as heretofore hath been wel and condignely reformed touching other the Spiritualty or the Temporalty there is nothing that requireth speedyer Reformation than a certain Ordinance Lately procured in the Court of the Arches at London by the means of the Proctors there for the advancement of their singular wil only By which may and do come divers abuses in the said Court and occasion not indifferent ministration of justice and chargeable and prolix process there The effect whereof is this The Proctors of the said Court of Arches hath of late upon feigned suggestion surmised unto the most reverend Father in God my Lord Archbp. of Canterbury President and Head of the said Court to have been for the common wele and ease of his Provincialls induced his Grace to make such an Ordinance or Statute in the said Court of the Arches That wher heretofore there were in the same twenty or four and twenty Proctors and my said Lords G. at his liberty alwayes to admit mo or fewer Proctors there as should be seen expedient to his G. for the sufficient attending of the causes there depending for the time there shuld be from thenceforth no mo admitted Proctors there until the said nombre of Proctors than being there were decreased and come down to the nombre of Ten and than the said nombre of Ten Proctors never after to be exceeded And furthermore lest my said Lords G. might be advertised afterwards upon better causes and considerations to dissolve the said Statute as his Predecessors did alike other Statutes made in semblable cause long before the said Proctors knowing that his G. would as alwayes did apply himself to that thing that shuld be most profitable for the Common wele and intending to take away that liberty from him abusing also his G's benignity and good zeal to the restraint of his liberties and â—ulfilling of their covetous intent incontinently upon the obtaining of the said Statute procured the same to be confirmed by the Chapter and Convent of Christ's church in Canterbury So that by reason of the same confirmation my said Lords G. ne his Successors cannot as the said Proctors do pretend though they see never so good a cause therto infringe ne dissolve the same And so therby made in maner an Incorporation among them tho they call it not so Wherin be it considered whether they have first offended the King's Laws which do prohibit such Incorporations to be made without licence had of the King's Highness first thereunto And though all Incorporations in any mystery or faculty be not lightly to be admitted in this case wherupon depends good or evil ministration of justice most of al such Confederacies are to be eschued Also the said Statute is divers wayes noyful to the Commonwele of this Royalm and prejudicial to the King's G. Subjects in the same and occasion of divers abuses in the said Court hereafter to be declared But because the said Proctors are persuaded that my said Lord of Canterbury cannot himself Dissolve the same and seeing that no man wil lighty contend alone with al the said Proctors for the Dissolving thereof For though it touch every man generally no man singularly wil suppose the same to touch him so moche that he should for the impugnation of the same put himself in business against so many and so rich a company as the said Proctors be it were not only expedient but also necessary for the indifferent and speedy ministration of justice in the said Court that his said unreasonable Statute were infringed and dissolved by the authority of this present Parliament where al other abuses and excesses noyeful to the Commonwele ought to be reformed for these causes following First The said Statute is prejudicial unto the Commonwele because it is occasion of prolix sutes and superfluous delayes in the said Court else more necessary to be restrained than augmented For the said nombre of Ten Proctors appointed by the said Statute is unsufficient for the speedy and diligent attending of mens causes in the said Court tho al Ten were procuring there at once as it is not like but that three or four of the same shal bee alwayes impotent or absent For such they account also with the nombre of Ten. And besides that the same Ten or fewer that shal be onely procuring shal serve not onely for the said Court of the Arches but also for my said Lord of Canterburies Audience wherein be as many causes as in the Arches and for the Consistory of the Bp. of London For by the Statutes of both the same Courts of Audience and Consistory there is no man admitted to procure in the same unless he be a Proctor admitted first in the Arches So that so few Proctors appoynted for so many causes as shal be under travayl in al the said Courts can never be able to speed their business without great delayes taking For heretofore when there were in the said Court twenty Proctors continually occupying and more it hath been seen that divers of theym hath been than so overlayd with causes that they were driven to take oft and many delayes and Prorogations ad idem for to bring in their matiers