Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	bishop_n	pope_n	send_v	2,160	5	5.9534	4	false

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

businesse which w●● no lesse than what the said Percy had said before he en●ouraged her in the prosecution who for some reasons best known unto her self a● she said to the Cardinall better liked of the Marriage of her daughter with the said Lord Percy than if the King should marry her The Cardinall finding a backwardnesse in this Lady that her daughter should be wedded to the King and hearing what fame had formerly spread abro●d con●erning the Kings former familiarity with her gu●shed at the cause and therefore advised her to go unto the King and deale freely with him in that particular lest hereafter she might otherwise repent The Lady takes his advise and addresses her self to the King who communing with him awhile upon that subject between jest and earnest she uttered these words Sir For the reverence of god take ●eed what you do in marrying my daughter for if you record your conscience well she is your own daughter as well as mine The King replied Whose daughter so●ver she is she shall be my Wife But When she proceeded to acquaint him with the Contract and told him how that her daughter and the Lord Percy were already man and wife before God ●olemnly contracted in the presence of s●ch and such the King was exceeding angry and swore by his wonted oath that it was not so and it should not be so and sent immediately for the Lady her self to come before him to whom as soon as ever she came into the presence and before ever she had heard of the business the King with a frowning conntenance said unto her Is it so Nan is it so hoh what say'st thoss to it To what said Anne Bullein Mother of God said the King they say that thou hast promised to marry young Per●y Mrs. Anne nothing at all abashed returns him this answer Sir When I knew no otherwise but that it was Lawfull for me to make such promises I must confesse I made him some such promise but no good subject makes any promises but with this proviso that if his Soveraigne commands otherwise it shall be lawfull for him to obey Well said my own Girle said the King and turniug himself to the Countess he said I told you that there was no such thing Thus you see concerning the first particular the King cared not who he married so that he might be wedded to his own will and concerning the second the King presently after sent for the Cardinall and him for to undo the former kno● with his own teeth enjoyning him to procure his servant to release his Mistress of her engagement which he did CHAP VIII 1. The first occasion of the Cardinalls ruine 2. The King sends divers Orators to the Vniversiti●s beyond the Seas to procure their ass●ntments to the Divorce 3. The return with satisfaction but it proves fruitlesse 4. Embassadours are sent to Rome 5. The Cardinall aspireth to be Pope 6. Ho useth strange meanes to accomplish the same Now it is the Queen● bed must be taken down that her palat may be advanced but from this time forward though the Card. was seemingly forward yet was covertly slow in the prosecution of the Divorce which afterwards proved to be his ruine Wherefore the King was advised by the Cardinalls and the rest of the b●shops as the only way of dispatch to send certaine Orators to forreine Universities as well as to those at home and so without any more ado to rest in their judgements The King having made choice of men fi● for his purpose gave them instructions and sent them several ways to the most renowned Universities of Christendome there to dispute the case viz. whether it was lawfull for a man to marry his brothers wife or not without acquainting them with the particulars either of the former brothers having no carnall knowledge of the said wife or the Popes dispensation thereupon so that by this slight and subtil●y they easily obtained determinations from all the Universities viz. that it was not lawfull whereupon not knowing whose case it was nor the case it selfe rightly the O●atours procured those determinations under the common S●ales of all the forraigne U●iversities whereupon they returned with great triumph to the great contentment of the King who rewarded them highly for their paines and it must not be thought that our Universities at home though they onely understood the case sh●uld be wiser than all the Universities of Christendome All these S●ales were all delivered into the C●rdinalls hand with a strict charge speedily to convene all the Bishops before him and to determine upon the businesse but this quick fire could not make this sweet malt for it was determined by whose means you may easily guesse that although the Universities had thus determined under th●ir Seales yet the businesse was too weighty for them to determine thereupon as of themselv●s without the authority of the Sea Apostolike but they all fell upon this agreement among themselves that Orators should be sent with these Seales of the Universities to Rome to treat with the Pope for procuring his confirmation therein thus the King was shov'd off with another wave from the Shore of his desired purpose With much reluct●ncy and sensibility of the tediousnesse of the delay no other remedy appearing A mbassadours were dispatched in all hast to Rome Cl●ment the seventh being Pope at that time The Ambassadours names were St●phen Gardiner the Kings Secretary Sir Francis Brian Knight one of the Gentlemen of the Kings Pr●vy Chamber Sir Gregory de Cassalel an Italian and Mr. P●ter 〈◊〉 a Venetian who being arrived at Rome having propounded the cause of their coming and rested themselves there awhile letters were come unto them from the King and the● Cardinall with further instructions how to deale with the Pope and to make all possible dispatch that could be made in the businesse But the Ambassadours were not half so hasty in demanding as the Pope was slow in expedition and that by reason of the Gout which then afflicted him and perhaps of an unwillingnesse of the minde as well as a debility of the body the Emb●ssadours by the return of their Letters having made knowne unto the King the Popes slownesse by reason of his great infirmity the Cardinall layes hold upon this occasion and in●ormes the King how that if he were Pope if it should so happen that the Pope should die all should goe well and speedily on his side To this purpose Letters were sent thick and three-fold to Rome both from the King and Cardinall with instructions that they would the more earnestly and often call upon the Pope for a finall determination hoping that he would the more easily be drawn thereto that he might by reason of his paine be rid of their importunity as also that if the Pope should chance to die of this present disease that by all meanes they should devise some way or other how the Cardinall of York should be elected to succeed in his

such keyes into his hands Secondly the Supreme Government of the Church consists in feeding Christs Sheep and Lambs according unto that when our Saviour performed that promise unto Peter of making him his universall Sheepherd by such unlimited jurisdiction feed my Lambs and not onely so but feed those that are the feeders of those lambes feed my sheep Now my Lords can any of us say unto the King Pasce oves God hath given unto his Church some to be Apostles some Evangelists some Pastors some Doctors that th●y might edifie the body of Christ so that you must make the King one of these before you can set him one over these and when you have made him one of these supreme Heads of the Church he must be such a Head as may be answerable to all the Members of Christs body and it is not the few Ministers of an Island that must constitute a Head over the Vniverse or at least by such example we must allow as many heads over the Church as there are soveraigne Powers within Christs Dominion and then what will become of the Supremacie every Member must have a hea● attendite vobis was not said to Kings but Bishops Secondly let us consider the inconveniences that will arise upon this Grant we cannot grant this unto the King but we must renounce our unity with the See of Rome and if there were no further matter in it than a renouncing of Clement the seventh Pope thereof then the matter were not so great but in this we do forsake the first four generall Counsells which none ever forsook we renounce all Canonicall and Ecclesiastical Laws of the Church of C●rist we renounce all other Christian Princes we renounce the Vnity of the Christian World and so leap out of Peters ship to be d●owned in the wave of all Heresies Sects Schismes and Divisions For The first and generall Counsell of Nice acknowledged Silv●ster the Bishop of Rome his authority to be over them by sending their Decrees to be ratified by him The Cou●sel of Constantinople did acknowledge Pope 〈◊〉 to be their chief by admitting him to give sentence against the Heretiques M●cidonius S●bellinus and E●nomius The Counsell of Ephesus acknowledged Pope Celestin to be their cheif Iudge by admitting his condemnati●n upon the Heretique Ne●torius The Counsell of Chalcedon acknowledged Pope Leo to be their chief Head and all generall Counsells of the World ever acknowledged the Pope of Rome onely to be the Supreme Head of the Church and now shall we acknowledge another Head or one Head to be in England and another in Rome Thirdly We deny all Canonicall and Ecclesiasticall Lawes which wholy doe depend upon the authority of the Apostolic●ll See of Rome Furthly We renounce the judgement of all other Christian Princes whether they be Protestants or Catholiques I●wes or Gentiles for by this argument Herod must have been head of the Church of the Iewes Nero must have been head of the Church of Christ the Emperour must be head of the Protestant Countreys in Germany and the Church of Christ must have had never a head till about 300. yeares after Christ. Fifthly The Kings Majesty is not sus●●ptible of this Donation Ozias for medling with the Priests office was resisted by Az●rias thrust out of the Temple and told that it belonged not to his o●●ice now if the Priest spake truth in this then is not the King to meddle in this businesse if he spoke amisse why did God plagu● the King with leprosie for this and not the Priest King David when the Ark of God was in bringing home did he place himself in the head of the Priests Order did he so much as touch the Ark or ex●cute any the least properly belonging to the 〈…〉 or did he not rather go be●ore and abase himselfe amongst the people and s●y that he would become yet more vile so that God might be glorified All goo● christi●n Emp●rours have evermore refused 〈◊〉 authority for at the first Generall counsel of Nice certaine Bills were privily brought unto Constantine to be ordered by his authority but he caused them to be burnt saying Dominus 〈◊〉 constituit c. God hath ordained you Priest● and hath given you power to be Iudges over us and therefore by right in these things we are to be ju●ged by you but you are not to be judged by me Valentine the good Emperour was required by the Bishops to be but present with them to reform the heresie of the Arians but he answered Forasmuch as I am one of the M●mbers of 〈◊〉 Lay-people it is not lawfull for me to define such controvers●●s but let the Pri●sts to whom not to separate our selves from such a one If we answer th●t the Church of Rome is not of God but a Malignant Church then it will ●ollow that we the inhabitants of this land have not as yet received the true faith of Christ seeing we have not rec●ived any other Gospel any other Do●trine any other Sacraments than what we have received from her as most evidently appears by all the E●cl●siastical Histories wherefore if she be a malignant Church we have been deceived all this while and if to renounce the common Father of Christendome all the G●nerall Counsels ●specially the first four which none renounce all the C●untr●ys of Christendome whether they be 〈…〉 Countreys or Protestant be to forsake the Vnity of the Christian world then is the granting of the Supremacy of the Ch●●ch unto the King a renouncing of the Vnity 〈◊〉 of the S●amlesse coat of Christ in 〈◊〉 a divid●ng of the Mystical body of Ch●●st 〈◊〉 Spouse limb 〈…〉 and tayle to tayle lik● 〈…〉 to set the field of Christs holy Church all on 〈◊〉 and this is it which we are about wherefore let it be said unto you in time an not too late LOOK YOV TO THAT This Sp●ech so wrought with the whole Convoc●●●on that all 〈◊〉 were laid aside and such an a●mour of resolution generally put upon the whole body there assembled that come what come would all was rej●cted and the Kings purpose for that time clearly frustrated But the King desi●ted not notwithstanding all this but sent his Orators to the Convocation-house to put them in mind of the dangers they were in and to acquaint them with the K●ngs heavy displeasure against them for denying him so reasonable a demand both which particulars they aggravated and set forth to the high●st advantage but it was answered that they were sensible enough of that which they had said and for the Kings displeasure they were very sorrowfull because they could not help it wherefore if they must they said suffer they must be contented The King having in vain thus attempted the fury of the wind in bereaving these Travellers of this upper Garm●nt of the Church he now makes triall what the policy of the Sun will do Wherefore The King sent for divers of the chief leading men of the Convocation as well Bishops as

to her service he might have been where he was twice together perpetuall dictator who afterwards mounted the high capitoll of Chancellourship of that University a dignity which is able to adorne the brightest Purple But now Vicechancellour-ship Mastership and all must be laid downe as at her feet who with her knees requites the courtesie whiles she kneels unto him as her Ghostly Father Remaining in which office he behaved himselfe so temperately and discre●tly that both the Countesse and her whole Family were altogether governed and directed by his high wisdome and discretion Having by these opportunities lodg'd much Divinity within his Mistris Soule and the Divine himselfe within her heart he makes it soon known unto the world what love it was wherewith he p●osecuted so faire an opportunity viz. to make his Mistresse a most glorious Queen in Heaven and himselfe acceptable in doing good improving all that opportunity not to the advantaging of himselfe in worldly honour but to the inclination of his Mistresse minde to workes of Mercy and finding in her owne naturall disposition a liberality and bountifulnesse to all sorts of people his worke was onely to advise her that that bounty should not ru●ne a course where it might be sure to lose its due reward but that it might b●stow it selfe in deeds of Almes as to the poor in redemption of Captives in marrying poor and distressed Virgins reparation of Bridges and High-wayes in many such deeds of Charity he implored her who easily was won thereto to imploy so large a Talent as God had given her that she might reap plentifully by sowing much Nor did he suffer her to rest thus satisfied with the distribution of such doles of bread and worldly food but at his perswasion also she erected two noble and goodly Colledges in Cambridge to the glory of God and benefie of his Church The one whereof she dedicated to Christ our Saviour and called it Christs Colledge largely endowing the same with store of maintenance for all manner of Learning whatsoever this Colledge she in her life time beheld built and finished of Stone and Brick as it now standeth The other she dedicated to Saint Iohn the Evangelist endowing it with like proportion of maintenance to the same intent and purpose but she lived not to see this Colledge finished but it was compleated after her death by this good Man at his owne cost and charges as hereafter shall bee declared Also upon his motion she ordained a Divinity Lecture in Cambridge and another in Oxford to be openly read in the Schools for the benefit of such as should be Preachers to the intent that the darke and hard places of Scripture might be opened and expounded in maintenance whereof she gave good store of Land to be disposed as stipends to the Readers and that for ever What good cannot such a Man doe who held such keyes within his hand such a Lady at his feet CHAP. II. 1. His preferment to the Bishoprick of Rochester 2. His contentednesse with that small Diocesse 3. His promotion to the high Chancellorship of Cambridge 4. His care and vigilance in that office 5. His opposing of Martin Luther 6. His excommunicating of Peter de Valence and his tender-heartednesse therein 7. His election to the Master-ship of Queens Colledge THese proceedings of his together with many other performances of deeds of Charity procured from others whereof not any one was ever performed whereunto according to his ability he did not set his helping hand together with his daily Preaching to the people with most carefull diligence gained him so much love and reverence from all sorts of people especially from the Bishops and all the Clergy in generall that that most worthy and grave Prelate Bishop Fox Bishop of Winchester a man in no small authority and estimation with King Henry the 7. of whose Councell he was never left so commending of him to the King upon all occasions as he saw his time convenient for his virtuous life and perfect sanctity untill such time as by the death of William Barous Bishop of London Richard Fitz Iames Bishop of Rochester being translated unto that See the B●shoprick of Rochester became void he found his opportunity to present this Doctor Fisher as a fit and worthy Pastor for that Cure nor was it otherwise possible but that so great a glory about the Moon should borrow though but by reflection some small lustre from the Sun whereupon the King directed his Letters to the Chapiter of the Church of Rochester to the intent they should elect the nominate within his letter for their Bishop whereunto without any the least contradiction or negative voice they all most willingly assented which act of theirs was shortly afterwards confirmed by the See Apostolick by Iulius the second Pope at that time in the Month of October in the year of our redemption 1504. and of his age 45. This sodain● and unexpected promotion of this holy Man in regard he never had been formerly advanced to any other dignity of the Church caused some to suspect and deem it as a thing that was purchased either by his Mistresse purse or favour from the King her Sonne which when it was told unto the King his Majesty replyed Indeed the modesty of the Man together with my Mothers silence spake in his behalfe Solemnly protesting that his Mother never so much as opened her mouth for him in that particular And openly affirming that the pure Devotion perfect Sanctity and great Learning which he had observed and often heard to be in the Man were the onely advocates that pleaded for him the truth whereof may be gathered out of the very Statutes of S. Iohn's Colledge in Cambridge where he took occasion to praise much to the honour of the King at whose hands so frankly and so freely he received this Donation The like mention he makes of the Kings bounty and liberality towards him in his Epistle Dedicatory to Richard Fox Bishop of Winchester before the book which he wrote against O●colampadius where he makes mention of the King as his chiefest and best friend and patron So farre was this good man from making any meanes by friends to be a ●ishop that all the friends he had could scarce perswade him to accept the Office after that it was granted to him Which modesty of his was very much confirmed by the sequell of his deeds for at one time after another being offered the two great Bishopricks of Lincolne and Ely he refused both and from the hands of Hen. 8. but we may behold him in the foresaid Epistle Dedicatory not only satisfying but enjoying himselfe with his little shock where his words have this beginning Habeant al●● proventus pinguiores c. Others have larger Pa●tures but I have lesser charge of Soules so that when I shall be called to an account for both I shall be the better able to give an account of either Not making so high and heavenly an office a

rising though as different as the two Poles between themselves both against him the one discovering the other aggravating his offences yet though sometime he had a better friend for he proved such a constant enemy to the last that he became a Martyr for the former and such a b●tter adversary sometimes to the first as he became afterwards the second 's footstoole to her Throne yet neither of them gave him thanks which rendred his venome guilty of the nature of the Spiders thus to be intangled within his own web Cardinall Campe●●●s perceiving the King disposed to discontentment takes his leave of his Maje●●y and suddenly departs the Realme after that he had made his abode here in this kingdome neere upon the space of one yeare who was no sooner gone but a sodaine rumour 〈◊〉 how that he had carried with him vast ●ummes of money of the other Cardinalls ●ut of the Realme for at that time Cardinall Wolsey wa● suspected to 〈◊〉 the Land by ●eason of the Kings displeasure insomuch that 〈…〉 after and overtaken at Callis where when they had searched 〈…〉 they scarce found so much money about him as would serve to defray his ordinary charges to Rome This the Cardinall Campeius took heavily and thereat was m●rvailously discontented which search for treas●●e was but a colour for the thing which the King aimed at was the instrument which contained the sentence of Divorce which Campeius had shewed unto the King in case he had seen cause to put the same in ex●cution which if the King had sound out it is supposed he would have made good play therewith but he was deceive● of his purpose Howsoever in the 22. yeare of the Kings reigne a Parliament was summoned to begin at London the 3. day of November and in the year of our Lord 1529. and accordingly Writs were directed to all the Counties c. but withall private Letters were sent to the most potent men directing them whom they should choose which Letters there were few or none durst disobey so that there was a Parliament filled to the Kings hearts desire And The regulations of all abuses of the Clergy were referred to the house of Commons where s●vere complaints against the whole Clergy as well as against particular Clergie-men were daily presented whereof some the house of Lord● 〈◊〉 into consideration and some they 〈◊〉 wh●ch when the Bishop of Rochester perceived he spake as followeth My Lords here are certaine Bills exhibited against the Cl●●gy wherein there are complaints made against the 〈◊〉 id●●nesse rap●ciry and cruelty of Bishops Abbots Priests and their Officialls But my Lords Are all vitious all idle all ravenous and ●ruell Priests or Bishops And for such as are such are there not laws provided alrea●y against such Is there any abuse that we do● not seek to rectifi● or can there be such a 〈◊〉 as that there shall be no 〈…〉 their owne and 〈◊〉 where they have no a●●hority to correc● If w● be not 〈◊〉 in our Lawes let each man suffer for his d●linquency or if we have not power did 〈◊〉 with your assistance and we shall 〈…〉 much the Good as the Goods of the Church that is look●d after Truly my Lords how this may sound in your 〈◊〉 I cannot tell but to me it appeares no otherwise than as if our holy Mother the Church were to become a bondmaid and new brought into servility and 〈◊〉 and by little little to be quite banished out of those dwelling places which the piety and liberality o● our forefathers as most 〈◊〉 Benefacto●s have conferred upon ●er otherwise to what tendeth these 〈◊〉 and curious Petitions of the Commons To no other intent or purpose but to bring the Clergie into contempt with the Laity that they may s●ize their Patrimony But my Lords beware of your selves and your 〈…〉 now on fire teach us to beware our own disasters where●ore my Lords I will tell you plainly what I think that except ye resist manfully by your authorit●●● this violent heap of mischiefs offered by the Commons you shall see all obedience first drawn f●om the Cle●gie and secondly from your selves 〈◊〉 if you 〈◊〉 into the true causes of all these mischiefs which reign among them you shall finde that they all arise through want of Faith This Speech p●eased and displeased divers of the house of Peeres 〈…〉 were severally inclined or adicted to ●orward or 〈◊〉 the K●ngs design●s among the which none 〈…〉 thereto but onely the 〈…〉 B●t when the Commons heard of this Speech they conceived so great displeasure against the Bishop that they forthwith sent their Speaker Mr. Audeley to complaine on him to the King and to let his Highnesse understand how grievously they thou ●h● themselves injured ther●by so as to be so highly charged for lack of Faith as if they had been Infidells or Hereticks c. The King therefore to satisfie the Commons sent for my Lord of Rochester to come before him being come the King demanded of him why he spake in such sort the Bishop answered that being in counsel he spake his minde in defence of the Church whom he saw daily injured and oppressed by the common people whose office it was not to judge of her manners much lesse to reform them and therefore he said he thought himself in conscience bound to defend her in all that lay within his power neverthelesse the King wished him to use his words more temperately and that was all which gave the Commons littl● satisfaction CHAP. XIV 1. The demand of all the small Abbies within the Land for the Kings use 2. The Bishop of Rochester opposeth the demand in the Convocation house 3. The mindes of the Clergie before ready to condescend to the proposition● altered thereupon 4. The Bishop of 〈◊〉 escaped very narrowly from being poysoned at his dinner 5. How he escaped another danger from the shot of a cannon 6. His departure from the place to Rochester IMmediately hereupon the foresaid demand for all the small Abbeys and Monasteries within the Land of the value of two hundred pound land and under to be given to the King was revived and the pretence for such demands of the Clergie was in recompence of the great charges and expences which the King was 〈◊〉 concerning the Divorce which he was put upon by the false and double dealing of the Cardinall and his Clergie and therefore it was said to be all the reason in the world that the Clergie should satisfie the King againe for the great expences he had been at and this was urged with such ●impor●unity as if the businesse had been called upon by sound of Drummes and T●umpets In conclusion they all agreed that cert●ine of the Kings Counsell should make demands hereof to the Co●vocation of the Cl●rgy which was performed with such a terrible shew of the Kings displeasure 〈◊〉 them if they y●ilded not to his 〈◊〉 that divers of the Convocation sea●●ing the Ki●gs indign●tion and

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

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