not Thus the People sought for Shelter under their Protection and found more Mercy at the hands of Common Lawyers than from them who ought to have been the Pastors of their Souls and the Publishers of the most merciful Religion that ever was In the beginnings of this Reign The Prosecution of Lollards before Warham there were several Persons brought into the Bishops Courts for Heresy before Warham Forty eight were accused But of these forty three abjured twenty seven Men and sixteen Women most of them being of Tenterden and five of them four Men and one Woman were condemned some as obstinate Hereticks and others as Relapses and against the common Ties of Nature the Woman's Husband and her two Sons were brought Witnesses against her Upon their Conviction a Certificate was made by the Archbishop to the Chancery upon which since there is no Pardon upon Record the Writs for burning them must have gone out in Course and the Execution of them is little to be doubted for the Clergy were seldom guilty of much Mercy in such Cases having devested themselves of all Bowels as the Dregs of unmortified Nature The Articles objected to them were That they believed that in the Eucharist there was nothing but material Bread That the Sacraments of Baptism Confirmation Confession Matrimony and Extream Unction were neither necessary nor profitable That Priests had no more Power than Laymen That Pilgrimages were not meritorious and that the Mony and Labour spent in them were spent in vain That Images ought not to be worshipped and that they were only Stocks and Stones That Prayers ought not to be made to Saints but only to God That there was no vertue in Holy-water or Holy-bread Those who abjured did swear to discover all that held those Errours or were suspected of them and they were enjoyned to carry a Faggot in Procession and to wear on their Cloaths the Representation of one in Flames as a publick Confession that they had deserved to be burnt There were also four in London that abjured almost the same Opinions and Fox says that six were burnt in Smithfield who might be perhaps those whom Warham had condemned for there is no mention of any that were condemned in the Registers of London By all this it will appear that many in this Nation were prepared to receive those Doctrines which were afterwards preached by the Reformers even before Luther began first to oppose Indulgences The Rise and Progress of his Doctrine are well known The Progress of Luthet's Doctrine the Scandalous extolling of Indulgences gave the first occasion to all that Contradiction that followed between him and his followers and the Church of Rome in which if the Corruptions and Cruelties of the Clergy had not been so visible and scandalous so small a matter could not have produced such a Revolution but any Crisis will put ill humours in Fermentation The Bishops were grosly ignorant they seldom resided in their Diocesses except it had been to riot it at high Festivals and all the Effect their Residence could have was to corrupt others by their ill Example They followed the Courts of Princes and aspired to the greatest Offices The Abbots and Monks were wholly given up to Luxury and Idleness and the unmarried State both of the Seculars Regulars gave infinite Scandal to the World for it appeared that the restraining them from having Wives of their own made them conclude that they had a right to all other Mens The Inferiour Clergy were no better and not having places of retreat to conceal their vices in as the Monks had they became more publick In sum all Ranks of Church-men were so universally despised and hated that the World was very apt to be possessed with prejudice against their Doctrines for the sake of the Men whose Interest it was to support them and the Worship of God was so defiled with much gross Superstition that without great enquiries all Men were easily convinced that the Church stood in great need of a Reformation This was much encreased when the Books of the Fathers began to be read in which the difference between the former and latter Ages of the Church did very evidently appear They found that a blind Superstition came first in the room of true Piety and when by its means the Wealth and Interest of the Clergy was highly advanced the Popes had upon that established their Tyranny under which not only the meaner People but even the crowned Heads had long groaned All these things concurred to make way for the Advancement of the Reformation And so the Books of the Germans being brought into England and Translated many were prevailed on by them Upon this a hot Persecution which is alwayes the Foundation on which a vitious Clergy set up their Rest was vigorously set on foot to such a Degree that six Men and Women were burnt in Coventry in Passion-week only for teaching their Children the Creed the Lord's Prayer and the ten Commandments in English Great Numbers were every where brought into the Bishop's Courts of whom some were burnt but the greater part abjured The King laid hold on this Occasion to become the Church's Champion and wrote against Luther as was formerly told His Book besides the Title of Defender of the Faith drew upon him all that Flattery could invent to extol it yet Luther not daunted with such an Antagonist but rather proud of it answered it and treated him as much below the Respect that was due to a King as his Flatterers had raised him above it Tindal's Translation of the New Testament with some Notes added to it drew a severe Condemnation from the Clergy there being nothing in which they were more concerned then to keep the People unacquainted with that Book Sir Thomas More seconded the King and imployed his Pen in the Service of the Clergy but mixed too much Gall with his Ink. The Cardinal's Behaviour in this matter was unaccountable for he not only acted nothing against the new Preachers but when some Bishops moved for a Visitation of the Universities upon a report of the spreading of Heresy in them he stop'd it yet afterwards he called a Meeting of several Bishops Abbots and Divines before whom two Preachers Bilney and Arthur were brought and Articles of Heresy being objected to them and proved by Witnesses they for a while seemed resolved to seal their Doctrines with their Blood but what through Fear what through Perswasion they were prevailed on first Arthur and Bilney five days after to abjure but tho Bilney was a Relapse yet the Cardinal was gentle to him and Tonstall Bishop of London injoyned him Penance and discharged him So much may suffice to shew the condition of Affairs in England both in Church and State when the Process of the King's Divorce was first set on foot Henry the seventh entered into a firm Alliance with Ferdinand of Spain The King's Marriage and agreed a Match between his Son Prince
the German Princes and yet it was very dangerous to begin a War of such Consequence under an Infant King At present they promised within three Months to send by the Merchants of the Still-yard 50000 Crowns to Hamburgh and resolved to do no more till new Emergents should lead them to new Councels The Nation was in an ill condition for a War Divisions in England with such a mighty Prince labouring under great distractions at home the People generally cried out for a Reformation they despised the Clergy and loved the new Preachers The Priests were for the most part both very ignorant and scandalous in their lives many of them had been Monks and those that were to pay them the pensions that were reserved to them at the destruction of the Monasteries till they should be provided took care to get them into some small Benefice The greatest part of the Parsonages were Impropriated for they belonged to the Monasteries and the Abbots had only granted the Incumbents either the Vicarage or some small Donative and left them the Perquisites raised by Masses and other Offices At the suppression of those Houses there was no care taken to provide the Incumbents better so they chiefly subsisted by Trentals other Devices that brought them in some small relief though the Price of them was scandalously low for Masses went often at 2 d. a Groat was a great bounty Now these saw that a Reformation of those abuses took the Bread out of their mouths so their Interests prevailing more with them than any thing else they were zealously engaged against all changes but that same Principle made them comply with every change that was made rather than lose their Benefices Their poverty made them run into another abuse of holding more Benefices at the same time a Corruption of so crying and scandalous a nature that where ever it is practised it is sufficient to possess the People with great prejudices against the Church that is guilty of it there being nothing more contrary to the plainest impressions of reason than that every Man who undertakes a Cure of Souls whom at his Ordination he has vowed that he would instruct feed govern ought to discharge that trust himself which is the greatest and most important of all others The Clergy were incouraged in their Opposition to all changes by the protection they expected from Gardiner Bonner and Tonstall who were Men of great reputation as well as set in high places and above all Lady Mary did openly declare against all Changes till the King should be of Age. But on the other hand Cranmer whose greatest weakness was his over-obsequiousness to King Henry being now at liberty resolved to proceed more vigorously The Protector was firmly united to him so were the young Kings Tutors and he was as much engaged as could be expected from so young a Person for both his knowledge and zeal for true Religion were above his Age. Several of the Bishops did also declare for a Reformation but Dr. Ridley now made Bishop of Rochester was the Person on whom he depended most Latimer was kept by him at Lambeth and did great service by his Sermons which were very popular but he would not return to his Bishoprick choosing rather to serve the Church in a more disengaged manner Many of the Bishops were very ignorant and poor spirited Men raised meerly by Court-favour who wee little concerned for any thing but their Revenues Cranmer resolved to proceed by degrees and to open the reasons of every advance that was made so fully that he hoped by the blessing of God to possess the Nation of the fitness of what they should do and thereby to prevent any dangerous opposition that might otherwise be apprehended The power of the Privy Council had been much exalted in King Henry's time by Act of Parliament and one Proviso in it was that the King's Council should have the same Authority when he was under Age that he himself had at full Age A Visitation of all the Churches so it was resolved to begin with a General Visitation of all England which was divided into six Precincts and two Gentlemen a Civilian a Divine and a Register were appointed for every one of these But before they were sent out May. there was a Letter written to all the Bishops giving them notice of it suspending their Jurisdiction while it lasted and requiring them to preach no where but in their Cathedrals and that the other Clergy should not preach but in their own Churches without Licence by which it was intended to restrain such as were not acceptable to their own Parishes and to grant the others Licences to Preach in any Church of England The greatest difficulty that the Reformers found was in the want of able and prudent Men the most zealous were too hot and indiscreet and the few they had that were Eminent were to be imployed in London and the Universities Therefore they intended to make those as common as was possible and appointed them to preach as Itinerants and Visitors The only thing by which the People could be universally instructed was a Book of Homilies so the twelve first Homilies in the Book still known by that name were compiled in framing which the chief design was to acquaint the People aright with the nature of the Gospel Covenant in which there were two extreams equally dangerous the one was of those who thought the Priests had an infallible secret of saving their souls if they would in all things follow their directions the other was of those who thought that if they magnified Christ much and depended on his Merits they could not perish which way soever they led their lives So the mean between these was observed and the People were taught both to depend on the sufferings of Christ and also to lead their lives according to the rules of the Gospel without which they could receive no benefit by his death Order was also given that a Bible should be in every Church which though it was commanded by King Henry yet had not been generally obeyed and for understanding the New Testament Erasmus's Paraphrase was put out in English and appointed to be set up in every Church His great reputation and learning and his dying in the Communion of the Roman Church made this Book to be preferred to any other since there lay no prejudice to Erasmus which would have been objected to any other Author They renewed also all the Injunctions made by Cromwel in the former Reign which after his fall were but little looked after as those for instructing the people for removing Images and putting down all other customes abused to superstition perstition for reading the Scriptures and saying the Litany in English for frequent Sermons and Catechising for the Exemplary lives of the Clergy and their labours in visiting the sick and the other parts of their function such as reconciling differences and exhorting their people to Charities and
Saturdays and Ember days should be Fish days under several penalties excepting the weak or those that had the Kings Licence Christ had told his Disciples that when he was taken from them they should fast So in the Primitive Church they fasted before Easter but the same number of days was not observed in all places afterwards other rules and days were set up but S. Austin complained that many in his time placed all their Religion in observing them Fast-days were turned to a mockery in the Church of Rome in which they both dined and did eat Fish drest exquisitely and drank Wine This made many run to another extream against all Fasts or distinction of days which certainly if rightly managed and without superstition is a great means for keeping up a seriousness of mind which is necessary for maintaining the power of Religion Other Bills were proposed but not past one for making it Treason to marry the Kings Sisters without the consent of the King and Council But the forfeiture of Succession in that case was thought sufficient The Bishops did also complain of their want of power to repress vice which so much abounded But the Laity were so apprehensive of coming again under an Ecclesiastical Tyranny that they would not consent to it A Proposition was also made for bringing the Common Law into a body in imitation of Justinians Digests But it fell being too great a design to be finished under an Infant King In this Parliament the Admiral was Attainted The Admirals Attainder The Queen Dowager died in September last not without suspicion of Poison upon that he renewed his Addresses to Lady Elizabeth but finding it in vain to expect that his Brother and the Council would consent to it and that her right to the Succession would be cut off if he married her without their consent he resolved to make sure of the Kings Person till he made a change in the Government He fortified his House he laid up a Magazine and made a party among the Nobility The Protector imployed many to divert him from those desperate designs but his Ambition being incurable he was forced to proceed to extremities against him He sent him Prisoner to the Tower in January with his Confederate Sharington who being Vice-Treasurer of the Mint at Bristol had supplied him with Money and had coined much base Money for his use Many were sent to perswade him to a better mind and his Brother was willing to be again reconciled to him if he would retire from the Court and business but he was intractable So many Articles were objected to him both of his designs against the State and of his Malversation in his Office several Pyrates having been entertained by him Many Witnesses and Letters under his own hand were brought against him Almost the whole Council went to the Tower and examined him but he refused to make any Answers and said he expected an open Tryal The whole Council upon this acquainted the King with it and desired him to refer the matter to the Parliament which he granted Upon that some Counsellors were again sent to see what they could draw from him but he was sullen and after he had answered to three of the Articles denying some particulars and excusing others he refused to go any further The business was next brought into the House of Lords The Judges and the Kings Council delivered their opinions That the Articles objected to him were Treason Then the Evidence was given upon which the whole House past the Bill the Protector only withdrawing They dispatched it in two days In the House of Commons many argued against Attainders without a Trial or bringing the party to make his Answers But a Message was sent from the King desiring them to proceed as the Lords had begun So the Lords that had given Evidence against him in their own House were sent down to the Commons Upon which they past the Bill and the Royal Assent was given the fifth of March And afterwards the King being prest to it by the Council gave order for the Execution which was done the twentieth of March. This was the only cure that his Ambition seemed capable of Yet it was thought against nature that one Brother should fall by the hand of another And the Attainting a man without hearing him was condemned as contrary to Natural Justice so that the Protector suffered almost as much by his death as he could have done by his life The Laity and Clergy both gave the King Subsidies and so the Parliament was Prorogued The first thing taken into care was the receiving the Act of Uniformity A new Visitation Some Complaints were made of the Priests way of officiating that they did it with such a tone of voice that the people did not understand what was said no more than when the Prayers were said in Latine so this Temper was found Prayers were ordered to be said in Parish Churches in a plain voice but in Cathedrals the old way was still kept up as agreeing better with the Musick used in them Though this seemed not very decent in the Confession of sins nor in the Litany where a simple voice gravely uttered agreed better with those devotions than those Cadences and unmusical notes do Others continued to use all the Gesticulations Crossings and Kneelings that they had formerly been accustomed to The people did also continue the use of their Beads which were brought in by Peter Hermit in the eleventh Century by which the repeating the Angels Salutation to the Virgin was made a great part of their devotion and was ten times said for one Pater Noster Instructions were given to the Visitors to put all these down in a new Visitation and to enquire if any Priests continued to drive a trade by Trentals or Masses for departed Souls Order was also given that there should be no Private Masses at Altars in the corners of Churches and that there should be but one Communion in a day unless it were in great Churches and at high Festivals in which they were allowed to have one Communion in the morning and another at noon The Visitors made their Report That they found the Book of Common Prayer received universally over all the Kingdom only Lady Mary continued to have Mass said according to the abrogated forms Upon this the Council wrote to her to conform to the Laws for the nearer she was to the King in blood she was so much the more obliged to give a good Example to the rest of the Subjects She refused to comply with their desires and sent one to the Emperour for his Protection upon which the Emperour pressed the English Embassadours and they promised that for some time she should be dispensed with The Emperour pretended afterwards that they made him an absolute Promise that she should never be more troubled about it but they said it was only a Temporary Promise A Match was also proposed for her with the King
to be favourable to the work he came for the Queen sent two Lords Paget and Hastings for him Both King and Queen rode in state to Westminster and each had a Sword of state carried before them The first Bill that past was a Repeal of Pool's Attainder it was read by the Commons three times in one Day and the Bill was passed without making a Session by a short Prorogation He came over and entred privately to London on the 24th of November for the Pope's authority not being yet acknowledged he could not be received as a Legate His Instructions were full besides the authority commonly lodged with Legates which consists chiefly in the many Graces and Dispensations that they are impowered to grant though it might be expected that they should come rather to see the Canons obeyed than broken only the more scandalous abuses were still reserved to the Popes themselves whose special Prerogative it has always been to be the most Eminent Transgressors of all Canons and Constitutions Pool made his first Speech to the King and Queen The Nation is reconciled to the See of Rome and then to the Parliament in the Name of the Common Pastor inviting them to Return to the Sheepfold of the Church The Queen felt a strange emotion of joy within her as he made his Speech which she thought was a Child quickned in her Belly and the flattering Court Ladies heightned her belief of it The Council ordered Bonner to sing Te Deum and there were Bonefires and all other publick demonstrations of joy upon it The Priests said that here was another John Baptist to come that leapt in his Mother's Belly upon the Salutation from Christ's Vicar Both Houses agreed on an Address to the King and Queen that they would intercede with the Legate to reconcile them to the See of Rome and they offered to repeal all the Laws they had made against the Pope's authority in sign of their repentance Upon this the Cardinal came to the Parliament He first thanked them for repealing his Attainder in recompence of which he was now to reconcile them to the Body of the Church He made a long Speech of the Conversion of the Britains and Saxons to the Faith and of the Obedience they had payed to the Apostolick See and of the many favours that See had granted the Crown of which none was more Eminent than the Title of Defender of the Faith The ruine of the Greek Church and the distractions of Germany and the Confusions themselves had been in since they departed from the Unity of the Church might convince them of the necessity of keeping that bond entire In Conclusion he gave them and the whole Nation a Plenary Absolution The rest of the Day was spent in singing Te Deum and the Night in Bonefires The Act repealing all Laws made against the Popes authority was quickly past only it stuck a little by reason of a Proviso which the House of Lords put in for some Lands which the Lord Wentworth had of the See of London w th the Commons opposed so much that after the Bill was offered to the Royal assent it was cut out of the Parchment by Gardiner They did enumerate and repeal all Acts made since the 20th of Hen. 8. against the Pope's authority but all foundations of Bishopricks and Cathedrals all Marriages tho' contrary to the Laws of the Church all Institutions all Judicial Processes and the settlements made either of Church or Abbey-Lands were confirmed The Convocation of Canterbury had joyned their Intercession with the Cardinal that he would confirm the right of the present Possessors of those Lands Upon which he did confirm them but he added a heavy charge requiring those that had any of the Goods of the Church to remember the Judgments of God that fell on Belshazzar for profaning the holy Vessels though they were not taken away by himself but by his Father and that at least they would take care that such as served the Cures should be sufficiently maintained all which was put in the Act and confirmed by it and it was declared that all Suits concerning those Lands were to be tried in the Civil Courts and that it should be a Praemunire if any went about to disturb the Possessors by the pretence of an Ecclesiastical power They also declared that the Title of Supream Head of the Church did never of right belong to the Crown enacted that it should be left out of Writs in all time coming All Exemptions granted to Monasteries and now continued in Lay-hands were taken away and all Churches were made subject to Episcopal Jurisdiction except Westminster Windsor and the Tower of London The statute of Mortmain was repealed for 20. years to come and all things were brought back to the state in which they were in the 20th year of King Henry's reign The Lower House of Convocation gave occasion to many clauses in this Act by a Petition which they made to the Upper-house consenting to the settlement made of Church and Abbey Lands and praying that the Statute of Mortmain might be repealed and that all the Tithes might be restored to the Church they proposed also some things in relation to Religion for the condemning and burning all Heretical Books and that great care should be had of the Printing and venting of Books that the Church should be restored to its former Jurisdiction that Pluralities and Non-residence might be effectually condemned and all Simoniacal pactions punished that the Clergy might be discharged of paying first-fruits and Tenths that Exemptions might be taken away that all the Clergy should go in their Habits and that they should not be sued in a Praemunire till a Prohibition were first served and disobeyed that so they might not be surprised and ruined a second time By another Bill all former Acts made against Lollards were revived The Commons offered another Bill for voiding all Leases made by married Priests but it was laid aside by the Lords Thus were the Pensioners and aspiring Men in the House of Commons either redeeming former faults or hoping to merit highly by the forwardness of their Zeal By another Bill several things were made Treason and it was declared that if the Queen died before the King and left any Children the King should have the Government in his hands till they were of Age and during that time the conspiring his Death was made Treason but none were to be tried for words but within six Months after they were spoken Another Act past declaring it Treason in any to pray for the Queens death unless they repented of it and in that case they were to suffer Corporal punishment at the Judges discretion A severe Act was also passed against all that spread lying Reports of the King the Queen the Peers Judges or great Officers Some were to lose their Hands others their Ears and others were to be fined according to the degree of their offence And thus all affairs were
refuses the See of Canterbury Pag. 343 1559. Bacon made Lord Keeper The Queen is crowned Pag. 344 ibid. A Parliament is called The Peace at Cambray Pag. 345 346 Acts past in Parliament Pag. 347 The Commons pray the Queen to marry ibid. Her Title to the Crown acknowledged Pag. 348 Acts concerning Religion Pag. 349 Preaching without Licence forbidden Pag. 351 A publik Conference about Religion ibid. Arguments for and against Worship in an unknown Tongue Pag. 352 The English Service is again set up Pag. 355 Speeches against it by some Bishops Pag. 356 Many Bishops turned out Pag. 358 The Queen enclined to keep Images in Churches Pag. 360 A general Visitation ibid. The high Commission Court Pag. 362 Parker is very unwillingly made Arch-bishop of Canterbury Pag. 363 The other Bishops consecrated Pag. 365 The Fable of the Nags-Head confuted Pag. 366 The Articles of the Church published Pag. 367 A Translation of the Bible Pag. 368 The Want of Church Discipline Pag. 369 The Reformation in Scotland Pag. 370 It is first set up in St. Johnstown Pag. 372 The Queen-Regent is deposed Pag. 375 The Queen of England assists the Scots Pag. 376 The Queen-Regent dies ibid. A Parliment meets and settles the Reformation Pag. 377 The Q of England the Head of all the Protestants Pag. 378 Both in France and the Netherlands Pag. 379 381 The excellent Administration of Affairs in England ibid. Severities against the Papists were necessary Pag. 285 Sir F. walsingh Account of the steps in which she proceeded ibid. The Conclusion Pag. 386 ERRATA BOOK I. PAge 20. line 5. stop read step Page 45 l. 17. if he said read he said if P. 47. l. 6. dele any P. 60. l. 18. after determine dele l. 19. after same d. P. 61. l. implored r imployed P. 64 l. 9. formerly r. formally P. 81. mar l. 4. after the r. King and the. P. 82. l. 2. enacted r. exacted P. 89. l. 23. King the r. the King P. 92. l. 6. or r. of P. 93. l. 3.9 r. 11. P. 95. l. 8. big a r. a big P. 99. l. 19. new r. now l. 29. after this r. was P. 109. l. 6. he r. the. P. 121. l. 2. after so r. was P. 130. l. 3. for r. but. P. 131. l. 16. after and r. he with P. 133. l. 9. after was r. given P. 135. l. 22. being r. were P. 139. l. 30. after were r. to P. 141. l. ult near r. now at P. 181. mar l. 3. cited in r. seized on P. 184. l. 2. had it r. it had P. 196. l. 26. del once P. 205. l. 12. before the r. as P. 217. l. 11. before the r. this P. 237. l. 31. some r. since P. 242. l. 25. her will r. his will P. 243. l. 5. after for r. since P. 257. l. 14. after Abel r. P. 260. l. 16. del are P. 291. l. 11. corrupting r. reforming Book 2. P. 13. l. 15. had r. been P. 30. l. 34. 20th r. 10th P. 53. l. 22. so r. for P. 103. l. 25. not r. nor P. 111. l. 13. after all r. his P. 188 l. 15. del then P. 199. l. 31. in r. on Book 3. P. 301. l. 20. hew r. new P. 321. l. 16. after most r. part P. 312. l. 2. Peru r. Pern l. some r. the same P. 317. l. 12. 80000 r. 8000. Book 4. P. 354. l. 28. and P. 356. l. 7. Ferknam r. Fecknam AN A BRIDGMENT OF THE History of the Reformation OF THE Church of ENGLAND LIB I. Of the Beginnings of it and the Progress made in it by King Henry the Eighth THe Wars of the two Houses of York and Lancaster The Vnion of the two Houses of York Lancast in K H. VIII had produced such dismal Revolutions and cast England into such frequent and terrible Convulsions that the Nation with great joy received Henry the Seventh Book I. who being himself descended from the House of Lancaster by his marriage with the Heir of the House of York did deliver them from the fear of any more Wars by new Pretenders But the covetousness of his Temper the severity of his Ministers his ill conduct in the Matter of Britaign and his jealousy of the House of York not only gave occasion to Impostors to disturb his Reign but to several Insurrections that were raised in his time By all which he was become so generally odious to his People that as his Son might have raised a dangerous competition for the Crown during his Life as devolved on him by his Mother's death who was indeed the Righteous Heir so his death was little lamented April 22 1509. He disgraces Empson and Dudley And Henry the Eighth succeeded with all the Advantages he could have desired and his disgracing Empson and Dudley that had been the cruel Ministers of his Fathers Designs for filling his Coffers his appointing Restitution to be made of the Sums that had been unjustly exacted of the People and his ordering Justice to be done on those rapacious Ministers gave all People hopes of happy Times under a Reign that was begun with such an Act of Justice that had indeed more Mercy in it than those Acts of Oblivion and Pardon with which others did usually begin And when Ministers by the King's Orders were condemned and executed for invading the Liberties of the People under the Covert of the King's Prerogative it made the Nation conclude that they should hereafter live secure under the Protection of such a Prince and that the violent Remedies of Parliamentary Judgments should be no more necessary except as in this case to confirm what had been done before in the ordinary Courts of Justice The King also either from the Magnificence of his own Temper He is very liberal or the Observation he had made of the ill Effects of his Father's Parsimony did distribute his Rewards and Largesses with an unmeasured Bounty so that he quickly emptied his Treasure 1800000 l which his Father had left the fullest in Christendom But till the ill Effects of this appeared it raised in his Court and Subjects the greatest Hopes possible of a Prince whose first Actions shewed an equal mixture of Justice and Generosity At his first coming to the Crown the Successes of Lewis the Twelth in Italy made him engage as a Party in the Wars with the Crown of Spain His Success in the Wars He went in Person beyond Sea and took both Terwin and Tournay in which as he acquired the Reputation of a good and fortunate Captain so Maximillion the Emperor put an unusual Complement on him for he took his pay and rid in his Troops But a Peace quickly followed upon which the French King married his Younger Sister Mary but he dying soon after Francis the first succeeded and he renewing his Pretensions upon Italy Henry could not be prevailed on to ingage early in the War till the Successes of either Party should discover which of the sides was the
Virgil and delighted much in those Returns which hungry Scholars use to make to liberal Princes for he loved Flattery out of measure His Learning and Vanity and particularly to be extolled for his Learning and great Understanding and he had enough of it to have surfeited a Man of any Modesty for all the World both at home and abroad contended who should exceed most indecently in setting out his Praises The Clergy carried it for as he had merited most at their hands both by his espousing the Interests of the Papacy and by his entering the Lists with Luther so those that hoped to be advanced by those Arts were as little ashamed in magnifying him out of measure as he was in receiving their gross Commendations The manner of promotion to Bishopricks and Abbies was then the same The manner of the promotion of Bishops that had taken place ever since the Investitures by the Ring and Staff were taken out of the hands of Princes Upon a Vacancy the King seized on all the Temporalities and granted a Licence for an Election with a special Recommendation of the Person which being returned the Royal Assent was given and it was sent to Rome that Bulls might be expeded and then the Bishop Elect was consecrated after that he came to the King and renounced every Clause in his Bulls that was contrary to the King's Prerogative or to the Law and swore Fealty and then were the Temporalities restored Nor could Bulls be sued out at Rome without a Licence under the Great Seal so that the Kings of Engl. had reserved the power to themselves of promoting to Ecclesiastical Benefices notwithstanding all the Invasions the Popes had made on the Temporal power of Princes A Contest concerning the Ecclesiastical Immunity The Immunity of Church-men for crimes committed by them till they were first degraded by the Spirituality occasioned the only Contest that was in the beginning of this Reign between the Secular and Ecclesiastical Courts King Henry the Seventh past a Law that Clerks convict should be burnt in the hand A temporary Law was also made in the beginning of this Reign That Murderers and Robbers not being Bishops Priests nor Deacons should be denied the benefit of Clergy but this was to last only till the next Parliament and so being not continued by it the Act determined The Abbot of Winchelcomb preached severely against it as being contrary to the Laws of God and the Liberties of the Holy Church and said that all who assented to it had faln under the Censures of the Church And afterwards he published a Book to prove that all Clerks even of the lower Orders were Sacred and could not be judged by the Temporal Courts This being done in Parliament-time the Temporal Lords with the Commons addressed to the King desiring him to repress the Insolence of the Clergy So a publick Hearing was appointed before the King and all the Judges Dr. Standish a Franciscan argued against the Immunity and proved that the judging Clerks had been in all times practised in England and that it was necessary for the peace and safety of Mankind that all Criminals should be punished The Abbot argued on the other side and said it was contrary to a Decree of the Church and was a Sin in it self Standish answered That all Decrees were not observed for notwithstanding the Decrees for Residence Bishops did not reside at their Cathedrals And since no Decree did bind till it was received this concerning Immunity which was never received in England did not bind After they had fully argued the matter the Laity were all of opinion that the Fryar was too hard for the Abbot and so moved the King that the Bishops might be ordered to make him preach a Recantation Sermon But they refused to do it and said they were bound by their Oaths to maintain his Opinion Standish was upon this much hated by the Clergy but the matter was let fall yet the Clergy carried the point for the Law was not continued Not long after this an Accident fell out that drew great Consequences after it One Richard Hun a Merchant in London was sued by his Parish-Priest for a Mortuary in the Legates Court so he was advised to sue the Priest in the temporal Court for a Premunire for bringing the King's Subjects before a forraign and illegal Court This incensed the Clergy so much that they contrived his Destruction So hearing that he had Wickclif's Bible he was upon that put in the Bishop's Prison for Heresy Hunn imprisoned for Heresy but being examined upon sundry Articles he confessed some things and submitted himself to Mercy upon which they ought according to Law to have injoyned him Penance and discharged him this being his first Crime but he could not be prevailed on by the terror of this to let his Suit fall in the Temporal Court Murdered so one Night his Neck was broken with an Iron Chain and he was wounded in other Parts of his Body and then knit up in his own Girdle and it was given out that he had hanged himself but the Coroners Inquest by examining the Body and by several other Evidences and particularly by the confession of the Sumner gave their Verdict that he was murdered by the Bishop's Chancellor Dr. Horsey and the Sumner and the Bel-ringer The Spiritual Court proceeded against the dead Body and charged Hun with all the Heresy in Wickliff's Preface to the Bible And condemned his Body burnt because that was found in his Possession so he was condemned as an Heretick and upon that his Body was burnt The Bishops of Duresm and Lincoln and many Doctors sitting with the Bishop of London when he gave Judgment so that it was looked upon as an Act of the whole Clergy but this produced very ill Effects for the Clergy lost the Affections of the City to such a degree that they could never recover them nor did any one thing dispose them more than this did to the entertaining the new Preachers and to every thing that tended to the reproach of the Church-men whom they esteemed no more their Pastors but accounted them barbarous Murderers The Rage went so high that the Bishop of London complained that he was not safe in his own House and there were many hearings before the Council for the Cardinal did all he could to stop the progress of the Matter but in vain for the Bishop's Chancellor and the Sumner were indicted as Principals in the Murder In Parliament an Act passed restoring Hun's Children but the Commons sent up a Bill concerning his Murder yet that was laid aside by the Lords where the Clergy were the Majority The Clergy look'd on the Opposition that Standish had made in the point of their Further Disputes about Immunity Immunities as that which gave the rise to Hun's first Suit so the Convocation cited him to answer for his Carriage in that Matter but he claimed the King's Protection since
unlawful in it self The Sorbon declares against the Marriage At Paris the Sorbon made their Determination with great Solemnity after a Mass of the Holy Ghost all the Doctors took an Oath to study the Question and to give their Judgment according to their Consciences and after three Weeks study the greater part agreed in this That the King's Marriage was unlawful and that the Pope could not dispense with it At Orleans Angiers and Tholouse they determined to the same purpose Erasmus had a mind to live in quiet and so he would not give his Opinion nor offend either party Grineus was implored to try what Bucer Zuinglius and Oecolampadius thought of the Marriage Bucer's Opinion was The Opinion of the Reformed Divines about it that the Laws in Leviticus did not bind and were not moral Because God not only dispensed but commanded them to marry their Brother's Wife when he died without Issue Zuinglius and Oecolampadius were of another mind and thought these Laws were moral But were of Opinion that the Issue by a Marriage de facto grounded upon a received Mistake ought not to be Illegitimated Calvin thought the Marriage was null and they all agreed that the Pope's Dispensation was of no force Osiander was imploied to engage the Lutheran Divines but they were affraid of giving the Emperour new grounds of displeasure Melanctthon thought the Law in Leviticus was dispensable and that the Marriage might be lawful and that in those matters States and Princes might make what Laws they pleased And though the Divines of Leipsick after much disputing about it did agree that these Laws were moral yet they could never be brought to justify the Divorce with the subsequent Marriage that followed upon it even after it was done and that the King appeared very inclinable to receive their Doctrine So steadily did they follow their Consciences even against their Interests But the Pope was more compliant for he offered to Cassali to grant the King a Dispensation for having another Wife with which the Imperialists seemed not disatisfied The King's Cause being thus fortified Many of the Nobility write to the Pope by so many Resolutions in his Favours he made many members of Parliament in a Prorogation time sign a Letter to the Pope complaining that notwithstanding the great merits of the King the Justice of his Cause and the Importance of it to the safety of the Kingdom yet the Pope made still new Delayes they therefore pressed him to dispatch it speedily otherwise they would be forced to see for other Remedies tho they were not willing to drive things to Extremities till it was unavoidable The Letter was signed by the Cardinal the Archbishop of Canterbury four other Bishops 22 Abbots 42 Peers and 11 Commoners To this the Pope wrote an answer The Pope's Answer He took notice of the Vehemence of their Stile He freed himself from the Imputations of Ingratitude and Injustice He acknowledged the King's great Merits and said he had done all he could in his Favour He had granted a Commission but could not refuse to receive the Queen's Appeal all the Cardinals with one consent judged that an Avocation was necessary Since that time the delays lay not at his door but at the Kings that he was ready to proceed and would bring it to as speedy an Issue as the Importance of it would admit of and for their Threatnings they were neither agreeable to their Wisdom nor their Religion Things being now in such a Posture November the King set out a Proclamation against any that should purchase bring over or publish any Bull from Rome contrary to his Authority and after that he made an Abstract of all the Reasons and Authorities of Fathers or modern Writers against his Marriage to be published both in Latin and English The main stress was laid on the Laws in Leviticus The Arguments for the Divorce of the forbidden Degrees of Marriage among which this was one not to marry the Brother's Wife These Marriages are called Abominations that defile the Land and for which the Canaanites were cast out of it The Exposition of Scripture was to be taken from the Tradition of the Church and by the Universal Consent of all Doctors those Laws had been still looked on as Moral and ever binding to Christians as well as Jews Therefore Gregory the Great advised Austin the Monk upon the Conversion of the English among whom the Marriages of the Brother's Wife were usual to dissolve them looking on them as grievous Sins Many other Popes as Calixtus Zacharias and Innocent the Third had given their Judgments for the perpetual Obligation of those Laws They had been also condemned by the Councils of Neocesarea Agde and the second of Toledo Among Wickliff's condemned Opinions this was one that the Prohibitions of marrying in such degrees were not founded on the Law of God For which he was condemned in some English Councils and these were confirmed by the General Council at Constance Among the Greek Fathers both Origen Basil Chrysostom and Hesychius and among the Latins Tertullian Ambrose Jerome and St. Austine do formerly deliver this as the belief of the Church in their time that those Laws were Moral and still in force Anselm Hugo de sancto Victore Hildebert and Ivo argue very fully to the same purpose the last particularly writing concerning the King of France who had married his Brothers Wife says it was inconsistent with the Law of God with which none can dispence and that he could not be admitted to the Communion of the Church till he put her away Aquinas and all the School-men follow these Authorities and in their way of reasoning they argue fully for this Opinion and all that writ against Wickliff did also assert the Authority of those Prohibitions in particular Waldensis whose Books were approved by Pope Martin the Fifth All the Canonists did also agree with them as Johannes Andreas Panormitan and Ostiensis so that Tradition being the only sure Expounder of the Scripture the Case seemed clear They also proved that a Consent without Consummation made the Marriage compleat which being a Sacrament that which followed after in the Right of Marriage was not necessary to make it compleat as a Priest saying Mass consummates his Orders which yet were compleat without it Many Testimonies were brought to confirm this from which it was inferred that the Queen's being married to Prince Arthur tho nothing had followed upon it made her incapable of a lawful Marriage with the King And yet they shewed what violent Presumptions there were of Consummation which was all that in such Cases was sought for and this was expressed both in the Bull and Breve tho but dubiously in the one yet very positively in the other After that they examined the Validity of the Pope's Dispensation It was a received Maxime that tho the Pope had Authority to dispense with the Laws of the Church yet he could not
dispense with the Laws of God which were not subject to him And it had been judged in the Rota at Rome when a Dispensation was asked for a King to marry his Wives Sister that it could not be granted and when Precedents were alledged for it it was answered that the Church was to be governed by Laws and not by Examples and if any Pope had granted such Dispensation it was either out of Ignorance or Corruption This was not only the Opinion of the School-men but of the Canonists tho they are much set on raising the Pope's Power as high as is possible And therefore Alexander the third refused to grant a Dispensation in a like case tho the Parent had sworn to make his Son marry his Brother's Widow others went further and said The Pope could not dispense with the Laws of the Church which several ancient Popes had declared against and it was said that the fulness of Power with which the Pope was vested did only extend to the pastoral Care and was not for Destruction but for Edification and that as St. Paul opposed St. Peter to his Face so had mnay Bishops withstood Popes when they proceeded against the Canons of the Church So both Laurence and Dunstan in England had proceeded to Censures notwithstanding the Pope's Authority interposed to the contrary and no Authority being able to make what was a Sin in it self become lawful every Man that found himself engaged in a sinful course of Life ought to forsake it and therefore the King ought to withdraw from the Queen and the Bishops of England in case of refusal ought to proceed to Censures Upon the whole matter Tradition was that upon which all the Writers of Controversy particularly now in the Contests with the Lutherans founded the Doctrine of the Church as being the only infallible Exposition of the doubtful parts of Scripture and that being so clear in this matter there seemed to be no room for any further Debate On the other hand Arguments against it Cajetan was the first Writer that against the stream of former Ages thought that the Laws of Leviticus were only Judiciary Precepts binding the Jews and were not moral his Reasons were that Adam's Children must have married in the Degrees there forbidden Jacob married two Sisters and Judah according to custom gave his two Sons and promised a third to the same Woman Moses also appointed the Brother to marry the Brother's Wife when he died without Issue But a Moral Law is for ever and in all Cases binding and it was also said that the Pope's power reached even to the Laws of God for he dispensed with Oaths and Vows and as he had the Power of determining Controversies so he only could declare what Laws were moral and indispensable and what were not nor could any Bishops pretend to judg concerning the extent of his Power or the validity of his Bulls To all this those that writ for the King answered That it was strange to see Men who pretended such Zeal against Hereticks follow their Method which was to set up private reasonings from some Texts of Scripture in opposition to the received Tradition of the Church which was the bottom in which all good Catholicks thought themselves safe and if Cajetan wrote in this manner against the received Doctrin of the Church in one Particular why might not Luther take the same liberty in other Points They also made distinction in moral Laws between those that were so from the nature of the thing which was indispensable and could in no Case be lawful and to this sort no Degrees but those of Parents and Children could be reduced other Moral Laws were only grounded upon publick Inconveniencies and Dishonesty such as the other Degrees were for the Familiarities that Persons so nearly related live in are such that unless a Terrour were struck in them by a perpetual Law against such mixtures Families would be much defiled But in such Laws tho God may grant a Dispensation in some particular Cases yet an Inferiour Authority cannot pretend to it and some Dispensations granted in the latter Ages ought not to be set up to ballance the Decisions of so many Popes and Councils against them and the Doctrine taught by so many Fathers and Doctors in former times Both sides having thus brought forth the strength of their Cause it did evidently appear That according to the Authority given to Tradition in the Church of Rome the King had clearly the Right on his side and that the Pope's Party did write with little sincerity in this matter being guilty of that manner of arguing from Texts of Scriptures for which they had so loudly charged the Lutherans The Queen continued firm to her Resolution of leaving the matter in the Pope's Hands and therefore would hearken to no Propositions that were made to her for referring the matter to the Arbitration of some chosen on both sides A Session of Parliament followed in January in which the King made the Decisions of the Universities and the Books that were written for the Divorce A Session of Parliament be first read in the House of Lords and then they were carried down by Sir Thomas More and 12 Lords both of the Spirituality and Temporality to the Commons There were twelve Seals of Universities shewed and their Decisions were read first in Latin and then Translated into English There were also an hundred Books shewed written on the same Argument Upon the shewing these the Chancellor desired them to report in their Countries that they now clearly saw that the King had not attempted this matter of his meer will and pleasure but for the discharge of his Conscience and the security of the Succession of the Crown This was also brought into the Convocation who declared themselves satisfied concerning the unlawfulness of the Marriage but the Circumstances they were then in made that their Declaration was not much considered for they were then under the lash All the Clergy of England were sued as in the case of a Premunire for having acknowledged a Forreign Jurisdiction and taken out Bulls and had Suits in the Legatine Court The Kings of England did claim such a Power in Ecclesiastical matters The Laws of England against Bulls from Rome as the Roman Emperours had exercised before the fall of that Empire Anciently they had by their Authority divided Bishopricks granted the Investitures and made Laws both relating to Ecclesiastical Causes Persons When the Popes began to extend their Power beyond the Limits assigned them by the Canons they met with great opposition in England both in the matter of Investitures Appeals Legates and the other Branches of their Usurpations but they managed all the Advantages they found either from the Weakness or ill Circumstances of Princes so steadily that in Conclusion they subdued the World And if they had not by their cruel Exactions so oppressed the Clergy that they were driven to seek Shelter under the Covert
The State of England and assumed a Supremacy in Ecclesiastical Affairs The Nobility and Gentry were generally well satisfied with the Change but the Body of the People was more under the Power of the Priests and they studied to infuse in them great Fears of a Change in Religion It was said the King was now joyning himself to Hereticks that both the Queen Cranmer and Cromwell favoured them It was left free to dispute what were Articles of Faith and what were only the Decrees of Popes and Changes would be made under this Pretence that they only rejected those Opinions which were supported by the Papal Authority The Monks and Friars saw themselves left at the King's Mercy Their Bulls could be no longer useful to them The trade of new Saints or Indulgences was near an end they had also some Intimations that Cromwell was forming a Project for suppressing them so they thought it necessary for their own Preservation to imbroil the King's Affairs as much as was possible therefore both in Confessions and Discourses they were infusing into the People a dislike of the King's Proceedings and this did so far work on them that if the Emperour's Affairs had been in such a condition that he could have made War on the King he might have done it with great Advantage and found a strong Party in England on his side But the Practices of the Clergy at home and of Cardinal Pool abroad the Libels that were published and the Rebellions that were afterwards raised in England wrought so much on the King's Temper that was naturally imperious and boisterous that he became too apt to commit Acts of the highest Severity and to bring his Subjects into Trouble upon the slightest Grounds and his new Title of Head of the Church seemed to have encreased his former Vanity and made him fancy that all his Subjects were bound to regulate their Belief by the measures he set them He had now raigned 25 Years in all which time none had suffered for Crimes against the State but Pool Earl of Suffolk and Stafford Duke of Buckingham the former was executed in Obedience to his Father's last Commands the latter fell by Cardinal Wolsey's Malice he had also been inveigled by a Priest to imagine he had a Right to the Crown but in the last ten Years of his Life Instances of Severity returned more frequently The Bishops and Abbots did what they could to free the King of any Jealousies that might be raised in him concerning them and of their own accord before any Law was made about it they swore to maintain the King's Supremacy The first Act of it was the making Cromwell Vicar General and Visitor of all the Monasteries and Churches of England with a Delegation of the King's Supremacy to him he was also empowered to give Commissions subaltern to himself and all Wills where the Estate was in value above 200 l. were to be proved in his Court This was afterwards enlarged and he was made the King's Vicegerent in Ecclesiastical Matters and had the Precedence of all next the Royal Family and his Authority was in all Points the same that the Legates had in time of Popery for as the King 's came in the Popes room so the Vicegerent was what the Legates had been Pains was taken to engage all the Clergy to declare for the Supreamacy At Oxford a publick Determination was made to which every Member assented that the Pope had no more Authority in England than any other Forreign Bishop The Franciscans at Richmond made some more Opposition they said by the Rule of St. Francis they were bound to obey the Holy See The Bishop of Litchfield told them that all the Bishops in England all the Heads of Houses and the most learned Divines had signed that Proposition St. Francis made his Rule in Italy where the Bishop of Rome was Metropolitan but that ought not to extend to England and it was shewed that the Chapter cited by them was not written by him but added since yet they continued positive in their refusal to sign it It was well known that all the Monks and Friars A general Visitation proposed tho they complied with the Time yet they hated this new Power of the King 's the People were also startled at it so one Dr. Leighton that had been in the Cardinal's Service with Cromwell proposed a General Visitation of all the Religious Houses in England and thought that nothing would reconcile the Nation so much to the King's Supremacy as to see some good Effect flow from it Others thought this was too hardy a Step and that it would provoke the Religious Orders too much Yet it was known that they were guilty of such Disorders that nothing could so effectually keep them in awe as the enquiring into these Cranmer led the way to this by a Metropolitical Visitation for which he obtained the King's Licence he took care to see that the Pope's Name was struck out of all the Offices of the Church and that the King's Supremacy was generally acknowledged In October the General Visitation of the Monasteries was begun Instructions and Injunctions for it which was cast into several Precincts Instructions were given them directing them what things to enquire after as whether the Houses had the full number according to their Foundation and if they performed Divine Worship in the appointed Hours what Exemptions they had what were their Statutes how their Heads were chosen and how their Vows were observed Whether they lived according to the Severities of their Orders how the Master and other Officers did their Duties how their Lands and their Revenues were managed what Hospitality was kept and what care was taken of the Novices what Benefices were in their Gift and how they disposed of them how the Inclosures of the Nunneries were kept whether the Nuns went abroad or if Men were admitted to come to them how they imploied their time and what Priests they had for their Confessors They were also ordered to give them some Injunctions in the King's Name That they should acknowledge his Supremacy and maintain the Act of Succession and declare all to be absolved from any Rules or Oaths that bound them to obey the Pope and that all their Statutes tending to that should be razed out of their Books That the Abbots should not have choice Dishes but plain Tables for Hospitality and that the Scriptures shoul be read at Meals that they should have daily Lectures of Divinity and maintain some of every House at the University The Abbot was required to instruct the Monks in true Religion and to shew them that it did not consist in outward Ceremonies but in Cleanness of Heart and Purity of Life and the worshiping of God in Spirit and Truth Rules were given about their Revenues and against admitting any under 20 Years of Age. The Visitors were empower'd to punish Offenders or to bring them to answer before the Visitor General What the Ancient
before the Act of Parliament past for suppressing the lesser Monasteries Q. Katherine was put to much trouble for keeping the Title Queen Queen Katherin's Death but bore it resolutely and said That since the Pope had judged that her Marriage was good she would die rather than do any thing in prejudice of it Her Sufferings begot Compassion in the People and all the Superstitious Clergy supported her Interests zealously But now her Troubles ended with her Life She desired to be buried among the Observant Friers for they had suffered most for her She ordered 500 Masses to be said for her Soul and that one of her Women should go a Pilgrimage to our Lady of Walsingham and give 200 Nobles on her way to the Poor When she found Death coming on her as she writ to the Emperour recommending her Daughter to his care So she writ to the King with this Inscription My dear Lord King and Husband She forgave him all the Injuries he had done her and wish'd him to have regard to his Soul She recommended her Daughter to his Care and desired him to be kind to her three Maids and to pay her Servants a Years Wages and ended thus mine Eyes desire you above all things She died on the Eighth of January at Kimbolt on in the 50th Year of her Age 33 years after she came to England She shas a Devout and Exemplary Woman She used to work with her own hands and kept her Women at work with her The Severities and Devotions that were known to her Priests and her Alms-Deeds joined to the Troubles she fell in begat a high Esteem of her in all sorts of People The King complained often of her Peevishness but that was perhaps to be imputed as much to the Provocations he gave her as to the Sowrness of her Temper He ordered her to be buried in the Abbey of Peterborough and was somewhat touched with her Death But Q. Ann did not carry this so decently as became a happy Rival In February a Parliament met In Parliament the lesser Monasteries suppressed after a Prorogation of 14 Months The Act impowering 32 to revise the Ecclesiastical Laws was confirmed but no time was limited for finishing it so it had no effect The chief business of this Session was the suppressing of the Monasteries under 200 l. a Year The Report the Visitors made was read in the two Houses and disposed them to great easiness in this matter The Act sets forth the great disorders of those Houses and the many unsuccessful Attempts that had been made to reform them so the Religious that were in them were ordered to be put in the greater Houses where Religion was better observed and the Revenues of them were given to the King Those Houses were much richer than they seemed to be for an abuse that had run over Europe of keeping the Rents of the Church at their first Rates and instead of raising them the exacting great Fines for the Incumbent when the Leases were renewed was so gross in those Houses that some rated but at 200 l. were in real value worth many Thousands By another Act a new Court was erected with the Title of the Court of the Augmentations of the King's Revenue consisting of a Chancellor a Treasurer 10 Auditors 17 Receivers besides ofther Officers The King was also empowered to make new Foundations of such of those Houses now suppressed as he pleased which were in all 370 and so this Parliament after six Years Continuance was now dissolved A Convocation sate at this time A Translation of the Bille designed in which a motion was made for Translating the Bible into English which had been promised when Tindal's Translation was condemned but was afterwards laid aside by the Clergy as neither necessary nor expedient So it was said that those whose Office it was to teach People the Word of God did all they could to suppress it Moses the Prophets and the Apostles wrote in the Vulgar Tongue Christ directed the People to search the Scriptures and as soon as any Nation was converted to the Christian Religion the Bible was translated into their Language nor was it ever taken out of the hands of the People till the Christian Religion was so corrupted that it was not safe to trust them with such a Book which would have so manifestly discovered those Errours and the Legends as agreeing better with those Abuses were read instead of the Word of God So Cranmer look'd on the putting the Bible in the People's hands as the most effectual means for promoting the Reformation and therefore moved that the King might be prayed to give order for it But Gardiner and all the other Party opposed this vehemently They said All the extravagant Opinions then in Germanny rose from the indiscreet use of the Scriptures Some of those Opinions were at this time disseminated in England both against the Divinity and Incarnation of Christ and the usefulness of the Sacraments for which 19 Hollanders had been burnt in England the former Year It was therefore said That during these Distractions the use of the Scriptures would prove a great Snare So it was proposed that instead of them their might be some short Exposition of the Christian Religion put in the Peoples hands which might keep them in a certain Subjection to the King and the Church But it was carried in the Convocation for the Affirmative At Court Men were much divided in this Point some said if the King gave way to it he would never be able after that to govern his People and that they would break into many Divisions But on the other hand it was said That nothing would make the Difference between the Pope's Power and the King's Supremacy appear more eminently than if the one gave the People the free use of the Word of God whereas the other had kept them in Darkness and ruled them by a blind Obedience It would be also a great mean to extinguish the Interest that either the Pope or the Monks had in England to put the Bible in the People's hands in which it would appear that the World had been long deceived by their Impostures which had no Foundation in the Scriptures These Reasons joyned with the Interest that the Queen had in the King prevailed so far with him that he gave order for setting about this with all possible hast and within three Years the Impression of it was finished At this time the King was in some Treaty with the German Princes not only for a League in Temporal Concerns but likewise in matters of Religion The King thought the Germans should have in all things submitted to him and the Opinion he had of his own Learning which was perhaps heightned a little with his new Title of Head of the Church made him expect that they should in all points comply with him Gardiner was then his Ambassadour in France and diswaded him much from any Religious League with them
new Opinions Fox Bishop of Hereford Treaties with the German Princes died at this time He had been much imploied in Germany and had setled a League between the King and the German Princes The King was acknowledged the Patron of their League and he sent them over 100000 Crowns a Year for the support of it There was a Religious League also proposed but upon the turn that followed in the Court upon Queen Ann's Death that fell to the ground and all that was in put their League relating to Religion was That they should joyn against the Pope as the common Enemy and set up the true Religion according to the Gospel But the Treaty about other Points was afterwards set on foot The King desired Melanchthon to come over and several Letters passed between them but he could not be spared out of Germany tho he was then invited both to France and England The Germans sent over some to treat with the King the Points they insisted most on were the granting the Chalice to the People and the putting down private Masses in which the Institution seemed express the having the Worship in a known Tongue which both common sense and the Authority of St. Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians seemed to justify much The third was The Marriage of the Clergy for they being extream sensible of the Honour of their Families reckoned that could not be secured unless the Priests might marry Concerning these things their Ambassadours gave a long and learned Memorial to the King to which an Answer was made penned by Tonstall in which the things they complained of were justified by the ordinary Arguments Upon Fox's Death Bonner was promoted to Hereford and Stokesly dying not long after he was translated to London Cromwell thought that he had raised a Man that would be a faithful Second to Cranmer in his Designs of Reformation who indeed needed help not only to ballance the Opposition made him by other Bishops but to lessen the Prejudices he suffered by the Weakness and Indiscretion of his own Party who were generally rather Clogs than Helps to him Great Complaints were brought to the Court of the rashness of the new Preachers who were flying at many things not yet abolished Upon this Letters were writ to the Bishops to take care that as the People should be rightly instructed so they should not be offended with too many Novelties Thus was Cranmer's Interest so low that he had none to depend on but Cromwell There was not a Queen now in the King's Bosom to support them and therefore Cromwell set himself to contrive how the King should be engaged in such an Alliance with the Princes of Germany as might prevail with him both in Affection and Interest to carry on what he had thus begun And the Beauty of Anne of Cleve was so represented to him that he set himself to bring about that Match A Parliament was summoned to the 28th of April The Act of the six Articles in which twenty of the Abbots sate in Person On the 5th of May a Motion was made that some might be appointed to draw a Bill against Diversity of Opinions in matters of Religion these were Cromwell Cranmer the Bishops of Duresme Ely Bath and Wells Bangor Carlile and Worcester they were divided in their Minds and tho the Popish Party were sive to four yet the Authority that Cromwell and Cranmer were in turned the Ballance a little but after they had met eleven days they ended in nothing Upon that the Duke of Norfolk proposed the six Articles The first was for the Corporal Presence 2. For Communion in one kind 3. For observing the Vows of Chastity 4. For private Masses 5. For the Celibate of the Clergy And the sixth was for Auricular Confession Against most of these Cranmer argued several days It is not like he opposed the first both because of that which he had declared in Lambert's Case so lately and in his own Opinion he was then for it but he had the Words of the Institution and the constant Practice of the Church for twelve Ages to object to the second and for the third since the Monks were set at Liberty to live in the World it seemed hard to restrain them from Marriage and nothing did so effectually cut off their Pretensions to their former Houses as their being married would do For the fourth if private Masses were useful then the King had done very ill to suppress so many Houses that were chiefly founded for that end the Sacrament was also by its first Institution and the Practice of the Primitive Church to be a Communion and all those private Masses were invented to cheat the World For the fifth it touched Cranmer in the quick for it was believed that he was married but the Arguments used for that will be found in the next Book For Auricular Confession Lee Gardiner and Tonstal press'd much to have it declared necessary by the Law of God Cranmer argued against this and said it was only a good and profitable thing The King came often to the House in Person and disputed in these Points for the greatest part he was against Cranmer but in this particular he joyned with him Tonstall drew up all the Quotations brought from Antient Authors for it in a Paper which he delivered to the King the King answered in a long Letter written with his own Hand in which he shewed that the Fathers did only advise Confession but did not impose it as necessary and so it was concluded in general only that it was necessary and expedient On the 24th of May the Parliament was prorogued a few days but by a Vote it was provided that the Bills should continue in the state they were then in At their next meeting two Committees were appointed to draw the Bill of Religion Cranmer was the chief of the one and Lee of the other both their Draughts were carried to the King and were in many places corrected with his own Hand in some Parts he writ whole Periods a new That which Lee drew was more agreeable to the King's Opinion so it was brought into the House Cranmer argued three days against it and when it came to the Vote the King who was much set on having it past desired him to go out but he excused himself for he thought he was bound in Conscience to vote against it But the rest that opposed it were more compliant and it also passed without any considerable Opposition in the House of Commons and was assented to by the King The Substance of it was That the King being sensible of the good of Union and of the mischief of Discord in points of Religion had come to the Parliament in Person and opened many things of high Learning there and that with the assent of both Houses he set forth these Articles 1. That in the Sacrament there was no Substance of Bread and Wine but only the Natural Body and Blood of Christ
could never gain much Ground after this and indeed many hoped that he should be quickly sent after Cromwell some complained of him in the House of Commons and Informations were brought the King that the chief Encouragement that the Hereticks had came from him The Ecclesiastical Committees imployed by the King A Book of Religion set out by Bishops were now at work and gave the last finishing to a Book formerly prepared but at this time corrected and explained in many Particulars They began with the Explanation of Faith which according to the Doctrine of the Church of Rome was thought an implicit believing whatever the Church proposed But the Reformers made it the chief Subject of their Books and Sermons to perswade People to believe in Christ and not in the Church and made great use of those Places in which it was said That Christians are justified by Faith only tho some explained this in such a manner that it gave their Adversaries Advantages to charge them that they denied the necessity of Good Works but they all taught that tho they were not necessary to Justification yet they were necessary to Salvation They differed also in their Notion of Good Works The Church of Rome taught that the Honour done to God in his Images or to the Saints in their Shrines and Relicks or to the Priests were the best sort of Good Works Whereas the Reformers prest Justice and Mercy most and discovered the Superstition of the other The Opinion of the Merit of Good Works was also so highly raised that many thought they purchased Heaven by them This the Reformers did also correct and taught the People to depend meerly upon the Death and Intercession of Christ Others moved subtiller Questions As whether Obedience was an essential part of Faith or only a Consequent of it This was a Nicety scarce becoming Divines that built only on the Simplicity of the Scriptures and condemned the Subtilties of the Schools and it was said that Men of ill Lives abused this Doctrine and thought that if they could but assure themselves that Christ died for them they were safe enough So now when they settled the Notion of Faith The Explanation of Faith they divided it into two sorts The one was a Perswasion of the Truth of the Gospel but the other carried with it a Submission to the Will of God and both Hope Love and Obedience belonged to it which was the Faith professed in Baptism and so much extoll'd by St. Paul It was not to be so understood as if it were a Certainty of our being predestinated which may be only a Presumption since all God's Promises are made to us on Conditions but it was an entire receiving the whole Gospel according to our Baptismal Vows Cranmer took great Pains to state this matter right and made a large Collection of many places all written with his own Hand both out of Antient and Modern Authors concerning Faith Justification and the Merit of Good Works and concluded with this That our Justification was to be ascribed only to the Merits of Christ and that those who are justified must have Charity as well as Faith but that neither of these was the meritorious Cause of Justification After this was stated they made next a large and full Explanation of the Apostles Creed with great Judgment and many excellent practical Inferences the Definition they gave of the Catholick Church runs thus It comprehended all Assemblies of Men in the whole World that received the Faith of Christ who ought to hold an Unity of Love and Brotherly Agreement together by which they became Members of the Catholick Church After this they explained the seven Sacraments In opening these there were great Debates for as was formerly mentioned the method used was to open the Point enquired into by proposing many Queries And of the Sacramenss and every one was to give in his Answer to these with the Reasons of it and then others were appointed to make an Abstract of those things in which they all either agreed or differed The Original Papers relating to these Points are yet preserved which shew with how great Consideration they proceeded in the Changes that were then made Cranmer had at this time some particular Opinions concerning Ecclesiastical Offices That they were delivered from the King as other Civil Offices were and that Ordination was not indispensibly necessary and was only a Ceremony that might be used or laid aside but that the Authority was conveyed to Church-men only by the King's Commission yet he delivered his Opinion in this matter with great Modesty and he not only subscribed the Book in which the contrary Doctrine was established but afterwards published it in a Book which he writ in King Edward's days from whence it appears that he changed his Mind in this Particular Baptism was explained as had been done formerly Penance was made to consist in the Absolution of the Priests which had been formerly declared only to be desirable where it could be had In the Communion both Transubstantiation Private Masses and Communion in one kind were asserted They asserted the Obligation of the Levitical Law about the Degrees of Marriage and the Indissolubleness of that Bond. They set out the Divine Institution of Priests and Deacons and that no Bishop had Authority over another they made a long Excursion against the Pope's Pretensions and for justifying the King's Supremacy They said Confirmation was instituted by the Apostles and was profitable but not necessary to Salvation and they asserted extream Unction to have been commanded by the Apostles for the Health both of Soul and Body Then were the Ten Commandments explained the second was added to the first but the Words For I am the Lord thy God c. were left out It was declared that no Godly Honour was to be done unto Images and that they ought only to be reverenced for their sakes whom they represented therefore the preferring of one Image to another and the making Pilgrimages and Offerings to them was condemned but the censing them or kneeling before them was permitted yet the People were to be taught that these things were done only to the Honour of God Invocation of Saints as Intercessors was allowed but immediate Addresses to them for the Blessings that were prayed for was condemned The strict rest from Labour on the seventh day was declared to be Ceremonial but it was necessary to rest from Sin and Carnal Pleasure and to follow Holy Duties The other Commandments were explained in a very plain and practical way Then was the Lord's Prayer explained and it was asserted that the People ought only to pray in their Vulgar Tongues for exciting their Devotion the more The Angels Salutation to the Virgin was also paraphrased They handled Free-will and defined it to be a Power by which the Will guided by Reason did without constraint discern and choose Good and Evil the former by the help of God's Spirit and
the latter of it self Grace was said to be offered to all Men but was made effectual by the Application of the Free-will to it and Grace and Free-will did consist well together the one being added for the help of the other and therefore Preachers were warned not to depress either of them too much in order to the Exaltation of the other Men were justified freely by the Grace of God but that was applied by Faith in which both the Fear of God Repentance and Amendment of Life were included All curious reasonings about Predestination were condemned for Men could not be assured of their Election but by feeling the Motions of God's Holy Spirit appearing in a good and a vertuous Life and persevering in that to the end Good Works were necessary which were not the Superstitious Inventions of Monks and Friars nor only moral Good Works done by the Power of Nature but were the Works of Charity flowing from a pure Heart and Faith unfeigned Fasting and the other Fruits of Pennance were also Good Works but of an Inferiour Nature to Justice and the other Vertues Good Works were meritorious yet since they were wrought in Men by God's Spirit all boasting was excluded They ended with an account of Prayer for Souls departed almost the same that was in the Articles published before The Book was writ in a plain and Masculine Stile fit for weak Capacities The Book is published and yet strong and weighty and the parts of it that related to Practice were admirable To this they added a Preface declaring the Care they had used in examining the Scriptures and Antient Doctors out of whom they compiled this Book The King added another Preface in which he condemned the Hypocrisy and Superstition of one sort and the Presumption of another sort to correct both he had ordered this Book to be made and published and he required his People to read and print it in their Hearts and to pray to God to grant them the Spirit of Humility for receiving it aright And he charged the Inferiour People to remember that their Office was not to teach but to be taught and to practise what they heard rather than dispute about it But this Preface was not added till two Years after the Book was put out for it mentions the Approbation that was given to it in Parliament and the Restraint that was put on reading the Scriptures of which an account shall be given afterwards The Reformers were dissatisfied with many things in the Book yet were glad to find the Morals of Religion so well opened for the Purity of Soul which that might effect would dispose People to sound Opinions many Superstitious Practices were also condemned and the Gospel-Covenant was rightly stated One Article was also asserted in it which opened the way to a further Reformation for every National Church was declared to be a compleat Body with Power to reform Heresies and do every thing that was necessary for preserving its own Purity or governing its Members The Popish Party thought they had recovered much Ground that seemed lost formerly They knew the Reformers would never submit to all things in this Book which would alienate the King from them but they were safe being resolved to comply with him in every thing and without doing that it was like to be somewhat uneasy to live in England for the King's Peevishness grew upon him with his Age. Now the Correspondence between the King and the German Princes fell upon the Change that was made in the Ministry and a secret Treaty was set on foot between the King and the Emperour All the Changes that the Committee appointed for the Ceremonies made was only the Rasure of some Offices and Collects and the setting out of a new Primer with the Vulgar Devotions for the Common People But the Changes were not so great as that it was necessary to reprint the Missals or Breviaries for the old Books were still made use of Yet these Rasures were such that in Queen Mary's time the old Books were all called in and the Nation was put to the Charge of buying new ones which was considerable so great was the Number of the Books of Offices The Popish Party studied now to engage the King into new Severities against the Reformers Barnes and others fall into Trouble the first Instances of these fell on three Preachers Barnes Gerrard and Jerome who had been early wrought on by Luther's Books Barnes had during Wolsey's Greatness reflected much on him in a Sermon which he preached at Cambridg but Gardiner was then his Friend and brought him off he having abjured some Articles that were objected to him yet upon new Complaints he was again put in Prison but he made his Escape and fled to Germany and became so considerable that he was sent over to England by the King of Denmark as Chaplain to his Ambassadours but he went back again The Bishop of Hereford meeting him at Smalcald sent him over to England with a special Recommendation to Cromwell he was after that much imployed in the Negotiations which the King had with the Germans and had the misfortune to be the first that was sent with the Proposition for Anne of Cleve In Lent this Year Bonner appointed those three to have their turns at St. Paul's Cross Gardiner preached also there and fell on Justification which he handled according to the Notions of the Schools But Barnes and the other two did directly refute his Sermon when it came to their turns to preach not without indecent Reflections on his Person This was represented to the King as a great Insolence he being both a Bishop and a Privy Counsellour so the King commanded them to go and give him Satisfaction he seemed to carry the matter with much Moderation and readily forgave all that was personal tho it was believed that it stuck deep in him In Conclusion they confessed their Indiscretion and promised for the future to be more cautious and renounced some Articles of which it was thought their Sermons savoured as that God was the Author of Sin that Good Works were not necessary to Salvation and that Princes ought not to be obeyed in all their just Laws Some other Niceties were in dispute concerning Justification but the King thought these were not of such Consequence that it was necessary to make them abjure them Barnes and his Friends were required to preach a Recantation Sermon at the Spittle and to ask Gardiner's Pardon but tho they obeyed this yet it was said that in one place they justified what they recanted in another at which the King was so much provoked that without hearing them he sent them to the Tower At that time Cromwell either could not protect them or would not interpose in a matter which gave the King so great Offence When the Parliament came they were attainted of Heresy without being brought to make their Answers no particular Errors were objected to them only they were
instruct their Hearers in the Fundamentals of Religion of which they had known little formerly This made the Nation run after these Teachers with a wonderful Zeal but they mixed too much Sharpness against the Friars in their Sermons which was judged indecent in them to do tho their Hypocrisy and Cheats did in a great measure excuse those Heats and it was observed that our Saviour had exposed the Pharisees in so plain a manner that it did very much justify the treating them with some Roughness yet it is not to be denied but Resentments for the Cruelties they or their Friends had suffered by their means might have too much Influence on them This made it seem necessary to suffer none to preach at least out of their own Parishes without Licence and many were licensed to preach as Itinerants There was also a Book of Homilies on all the Epistles and Gospels in the Year put out which contained a plain Paraphrase of those Parcels of Scripture together with some practical Exhortations founded on them Many Complaints were made of those that were licensed to preach and that they might be able to justify themselves they began generally to write and read their Sermons and thus did this Custom begin in which what is wanting in the heat and force of Delivery is much made up by the strength and solidity of the Matter and has produced many Volumes of as excellent Sermons as have been preached in any Age. Plays and Enterludes were a great Abuse in that time in them Mock-Representations were made both of the Clergy and of the Pageantry of their Worship The Clergy complained much of these as an Introduction to Atheism when things Sacred were thus laught at and said They that begun to laugh at Abuses would not cease till they had represented all the Mysteries of Religion as ridiculous The graver sort of Reformers did not approve of it but political Men encouraged it and thought nothing would more effectually pull down the Abuses that yet remained than the exposing them to the scorn of the Nation A War did now break out between England and Scotland at the Instigation of the King of France A War with Scotland King Henry set out a Declaration pretending that the Crown of Scotland owed Homage to him and cited many Precedents to shew that Homage was done not only by their Kings but by consent of the States for which Original Records were appealed to The Scots on the other hand asserted that they were a free and independent Kingdom that the Homages antiently made by their Kings were only for Lands which they had in England and that those more lately made were either offered by Pretenders in the case of a doubtful Title or were extorted by Force And they said their Kings could not give up the Rights of a free Crown and People The Duke of Norfolk made an In-road into Scotland with 20000 Men in October but after he had burnt some small Towns and wasted Teviotdale he returned back to England In the end of November an Army of 15000 Scots with a good Train of Artillery was brought together They intended to march into England by the Western Road. The King went to it in Person but he was at this time much disturbed in his Fancy and thought the Ghost of one whom he had unjustly put to death followed him continually he not only left the Army but sent a Commission to Oliver Sinclare then called his Minion to command in chief This disgusted the Nobility very much who were become weary of the Insolence of that Favourite so they refused to march and were beginning to separate While they were in this Disorder 500 English appeared and they apprehending it was a fore Party of the Duke of Norfolk's Army refused to fight so the English fell upon them and dispersed them they took all their Ordinance and Baggage and 1000 Prisoners of whom 200 were Gentlemen The chief of these were the Earls of Glencarn and Cassilis The News of this so over-charged the Melancholy King that he died soon after leaving only an Infant Daughter newly born to succeed him The Lords that were taken were brought up to London and lodged in the Houses of the English Nobility Cassilis was sent to Lambeth where he received those Seeds of Knowledg which produced afterwards a great Harvest in Scotland The other Prisoners were also instructed to such a degree that they came to have very different Thoughts of the Changes that had been made in England from what the Scotish Clergy had possessed them with who had encouraged their King to engage in the War both by the assurance of Victory since he fought against an Heretical Prince and the Contribution of 50000 Crowns a Year The King's Death and the Crowns falling to his Daughter made the English Council lay hold on this as a proper Conjuncture for uniting the whole Island in one therefore they sent for the Scotish Lords and proposed to them the marrying the Prince of Wales to their young Queen this the Scots liked very well and promised to promote it all they could And so upon their giving Hostages for the performing their Promises faithfully they were sent home and went away much pleased both with the Splendor of the King's Court and with the way of Religion which they had seen in England A Parliament was called A Parliament called in which the King had great Subsidies given him of six Shillings in the Pound to be paid in three Years A Bill was proposed for the advancement of true Religion by Cranmer and some other Bishops for the Spirits of the Popish Party were much fallen ever since the last Queen's Death yet at this time a Treaty was set on foot between the King and the Emperour which raised them a little for since the King was like to engage in a War with France it was necessary for him to make the Emperour his Friend Cranmer's Motion was much opposed and the timorous Bishops forsook him yet he put it as far as it would go An Act about Religion tho in most Points things went against him By it Tindall's Translation of the Bible was condemned as crafty and false and also all other Books contrary to the Doctrine set forth by the Bishops But Bibles of another Translation were still allowed to be kept only all Prefaces or Annotations that might be in them were to be dashed or cut out All the King's Injunctions were confirmed No Books of Religion might be printed without Licence there was to be no Exposition of Scripture in Plays or Enterludes none of the Laity might read the Scripture or explain it in any publick Assembly But a Proviso was made for publick Speeches which then began generally with a Text of Scripture and were like Sermons Noblemen Gentlemen and their Wives or Merchants might have Bibles but no ordinary Woman Tradesman Apprentice or Husbandman might have any Every Person might have the Book set out by the
begged that he might be heard with his Accusers face to face He prayed that the King would take all his Lands and Goods and only restore him to his Favour and grant him such an Allowance to live on as he thought fit He went further and set his Hand to a Confession of several Crimes as 1. His revealing the Secrets of the King's Council 2. His concealing his Son's Treason in giving the Arms of Edward the Confessor 3. His own giving the Arms of England with the Labels of Silver which belonged only to the Prince which he acknowledged was High Treason and therefore he begged the King's Mercy But all this had no effect on the King tho his drawing so near his end ought to have begot in him a greater regard to the shedding of Innocent Blood When the Parliament met And the Duke attainted by Act of Parliament the King was not able to come to Westminster but he sent his Pleasure to them by a Commission He intended to have Prince Edward Crowned Prince of Wales and therefore desired they would make all possible hast in the Attainder of the Duke of Norfolk that so the Places which he held by Patent might be disposed of to others who should assist at the Coronation which tho it was a very slight Excuse for so high a piece of Injustice yet it had that effect that in seven Days both Houses past the Bill On the 27th of January the Royal Assent was given by those Commissioned by the King and the Execution was ordered to be next Morning There was no special Matter in the Act but that of the Coat of Arms which he and his Ancestors were used to give according to Records in the Herauld's Office so that this was condemned by all Persons as a most Inexcusable Act of Tyranny But the Night after this the King died and it was thought contrary to the Decencies of Government to begin a new Reign with so Unjustifiable an Act as the beheading of the old Duke and so he was preserved Yet both Sides made Inferences from this Calamity that fell on him The Papists said It was God's just Judgment on him for his Obsequiousness to King Henry But the Protestants said It was a just return on him for what he had done against Cromwel and many others on the account of the six Articles Cranmer would not meddle in this Matter but that he might be out of the way he retired to Croydon whereas Gardiner that had been his Friend all along continued still about the Court. The King's Distemper had been growing long upon him He was become so Corpulent that he could not go up and down Stairs but made use of an Ingine The King's Sickness when he intended to walk in his Garden by which he was let down and drawn up He had an old Sore in his Leg that pained him much the Humours of his Body discharging themselves that way till at last all setled in a Dropsy Those about him were afraid to let him know that his Death seemed near lest that might have been brought within the Statute of foretelling his Death which was made Treason His Will was made ready and as it was given out was signed by him on the 30th of December He had made one at his last going over to France All the Change that he made at this time was that he ordered Gardiner's Name to be struck out for in that formerly made he was named one of the Executors When Sir Anthony Brown endeavoured to perswade him not to put that Disgrace on an old Servant he continued positive in it for he said he knew his Temper and could govern him but it would not be in the Power of others to do it if he were put in so high a Trust The most material thing in the Will was the preferring the Children of his second Sister by Charles Brandon to the Children of his eldest Sister the Queen of Scotland in the Succession to the Crown Some Objections were made to the Validity and Truth of the Will It was not signed by the King's Hand as it was directed by the Act of Parliament but only stamped with his Name and it was said this was done when he was dying without any Order given for it by himself for proof of which the Scots that were most concerned appealed to many Witnesses and chiefly to a Deposition which the Lord Paget had made who was then Secretary of State On his Death-bed he finished the Foundation of Trinity-Colledge in Cambridge and of Christ's-Church Hospital near Newgate yet this last was not so fully setled as was needful till his Son compleated what he had begun On the 27th of January And Death his Spirits sunk so that it was visible he had not long to live Sir Anthony Denny took the courage to tell him that Death was approaching and desired him to call on God for his Mercy The King exprest in general his Sorrow for his past Sins and his Trust in the Mercies of God in Christ Jesus He ordered Cranmer to be sent for but he was speechless before he could be brought from Croidon yet he gave a Sign that he understood what he said to him and soon after he died in the 57th Year of his Age after he had reigned 37 Years and nine Months His Death was concealed three days for the Parliament which was dissolved with his last Breath continued to do business till the 31st and then his Death was published It is probable the Seimours concealed it so long till they made a Party for the putting the Government into their own Hands The Severities he used against many of his Subjects in matters of Religion An account of his Severities against the Priests made both sides write with great Sharpness of him His Temper was Imperious and Cruel He was both sudden and violent in his Revenges and stuck at nothing by which he could either gratify his Lust or his Passion This was much provoked by the Sentence the Pope thundered against him by the virulent Books Cardinal Pool and others published by the Rebellions that were raised in England and the Apprehensions he was in of the Emperour's Greatness and of the Inclinations his People had to have joined with him together with what he had read in History of the Fates of those Princes against whom Popes had thundered in former times all which made him think it necessary to keep his People under the Terror of a severe Government and by some publick Examples to secure the Peace of the Nation and thereby to prevent a more profuse Effusion of Blood which might have otherwise followed if he had been more gentle And it was no wonder if after the Pope deposed him he proceeded to great Severities against all that which supported that Authority The first Instance of Capital Proceedings upon that account was in Easter-Term 1535 in which three Priors and a Monk of the Carthusian Order The Carthusians
to God On the 22. The Duke of Somerset's Execution day of January the Duke of Somerset was executed at Tower-Hill the substance of his Speech was a Vindication of himself from all ill designs he confessed his private sins and acknowledged the mercies of God in granting him time to Repent he declared that he had acted sincerely in all he did in matters of Religion while he was in power and rejoyced for his being Instrumental in so good a work he exhorted the People to live sutably to the doctrine received among them otherwise they might look for great Judgments from God As he was going on there was an unaccountable Noise heard which so frighted the People that many run away Sir Anthony Brown came up riding towards the Scaffold which made the Spectators think that he brought a Pardon and this occasioned great shouts of Joy but they soon saw their mistakes so the Duke went on in his Speech He declared his chearful submission to the will of God and desired them likewise to acquiesce in it he prayed for the King and his Council and exhorted the People to continue obedient to them and asked the forgiveness of all whom at any time he had offended Then he turned to his private devotions and fitted himself for the blow which upon the signal given severed his Head from his Body He was a Man of extraordinary Virtues of great candor and eminent Piety he was always a promoter of Justice and a Patron of the oppressed He was a better Captain than a Counsellor and was too easie and open-hearted to be so cautious as such times and such Imployments required It was generally believed all this Conspiracy for which he and the other Four suffered was only a forgery all the other Complices were quickly discharged and Palmer the chief Witness became Northumberlands particular confident and the indiscreet words which the Duke of Somerset had spoken and his gathering armed Men about him was imputed to Palmer's artifices who had put him in fear of his life and so made him do and say those things for which he lost it His four friends did all end their Lives with the most solemn protestations of their Innocence and the whole matter was lookt on as a contrivance of Northumberlands by which he lost the affections of the People entirely Some reflected on the Attainder of the Duke of Norfolk and the Earl of Surrey's death occasioned likewise by a Conspiracy of their own Servants in which it was thought this Duke was too active He was also much censured for his Brothers death He had raised much of his Estate out of the spoils of Bishops Lands and his Palace out of the Ruines of some Churches and to this some added a remark that he did not claim the benefit of his Clergy which would have saved him and since he had so spoiled the Church they imputed it to a particular Judgment on him that he forgat it But in this they were mistaken for in the Act by which he was condemned it was provided that no Clergy should purge that Felony In Germany The affairs of Germany Maurice began this year to form a great design He enter'd into correspondences not only with the Princes of Germany but also with France and England and having given intimations of his designs for the liberty of Germany and the security of the Protestant Religion to some that had great credit in Magdeburg he brought that Town to a surrender and having made himself sure of the Army he quartered his Troops in the Territories of the Popish Princes by which they were all much alarmed only the Emperour did not apprehend the danger till it was too late for him A quarrel fell in between the Pope and the King of France about Parma The Pope threatned if that King would not restore Parma he would take France from him Upon that the Council being now again opened at Trent the King of France protested against it and declared that he would call a National Council in France and would not obey nor receive their Decrees The Emperor still pressed the Germans to send Embassadours and Divines to Trent The Council began with the points about the Eucharist and it was ordered that these should be handled according to the Scriptures and Ancient Authors the Italians did not like this and said the bringing many quotations was only an Act of Memory and that way would give the Lutherans great advantages The sublime speculations of the Schools together with their terms were much safer Weapons to deal with A Safe-Conduct was demanded from the Council for the Emperours Conduct was not thought sufficient since at Constance John Hus and Jerome of Prague were burnt though they had the Emperours Safe-Conduct The Council of Basil had granted a very full one to the Bohemians so the Lutherans demanded one in the same form but though one was granted yet it was in many things short of that The Elector of Brandenburg sent an Embassadour to Trent who made a general Speech of the respect his Master had for them The Legates answered and thanked him for submitting to their Decrees of which the Embassadour had not said a word but when he expostulated about it the Legates said they answered him according to that he ought to have said and not to that he did say The Council decreed the manner of Christs presence to be ineffable and yet added that Transubstantiation was a fit term for it for that was a notion as unconceivable as any that could be thought on Then they decreed the necessity of Auricular Confession that thereby Priests might keep a proportion between Penances and Sins which was thought a mockery for the trade of slight Penances and easie Absolutions for the greatest sins shewed there was no care taken to adjust the one to the other The Embassadour of the Duke of Wirtemberg came and moved for a Safe-Conduct to their Divines to come and maintain their Doctrine The Legates answered they would enter into no disputes with them but if they came with an humble mind and proposed their scruples they would satisfie them Embassadours from some Towns arrived at Trent and those sent by the Duke of Saxe were on their way upon which the Emperour ordered his Agents to gain time and hinder the Council to proceed in their decisions till those were heard but all he could prevail in was that the Article concerning the Communion in both kinds was postponed till they should come The day after the Duke of Somerset's execution a Session of Parliament was assembled A Session of Parliament The first Act they past was about the Common-Prayer-Book as it was now amended To it only one Earl two Bishops and two Lords dissented The Book was appointed to be every where received after All-hallows next The Bishops were required to proceed by the censures of the Church against such as came not to it they also authorized the Book of Ordinations and
carried in Parliament Gardiners policy in the steps of this change as well as the Court could wish and upon this Gardiner's reputation was much raised for bringing about so great a change in so little time with so little opposition He took much pains to remove all the Objections that were generally made use of they were chiefly two the one was the fear of coming under such Tyranny from Rome as their Ancestors had groaned under and the other was the loss of the Abbey-Lands But to the first he said that all the old Laws against Provisions from Rome should still continue in force and to shew them that Legates should exercise no dangerous authority in England he made Pool take out a Licence under the Great Seal for his Legatine power As for the other he promised both an Act of Parliament and Convocation confirming them and undertook that the Pope should ratifie these as well as his Legate did now consent to them But to all this it was answered that if the Nation were again brought under the old Superstition and the Papal authority established it would not be possible to bridle that power which would be no longer kept within limits if once they became Masters again and brought the World under a blind obedience It was objected that the Church-Lands must be certainly taken back it was not likely the Pope would confirm the alienation of them but though he should do it yet his Successors might annul that as sacrilegious And it was observed in the charge which Pool gave to all to make restitution by the repeal of the statute of Mortmain that it was intended to possess the Nation with an Opinion of the Unlawfulness of keeping those Lands which would probably work much on Men that were near death and could not resist the terrours of Purgatory or perhaps of Hell for the sin of Sacriledge and so would be easily induced to make restitution of them especially at such a time when they were not able to possess them any longer themselves Now the Parliament was at an end Consultations about the way of proceeding against Hereticks and the first thing taken into consideration was what way they ought to proceed against the Hereticks Pool had been suspected to bear some favour to them formerly but he took great care to avoid all occasions of being any more blamed for that and indeed he lived in that distrust of all the English that he opened his thoughts to very few for his chief Confidents were two Italians that came over with him Priuli and Ormaneto Secretary Cecyl who in matters of Religion complied with the present time was observed to have more of his favour than any English Man had Pool was an Enemy to all severe proceedings he thought Churchmen should have the tenderness of a Father and the care of a Shepherd and ought to reduce but not devour the stray sheep he had observed that Cruelty rather inflamed than cured that Distemper he thought the better and surer way was to begin with an effectual Reformation of the manners of the Clergy since it was the scandals given by their ill conduct and Ignorance that was the chief cause of the growth of Heresie so he concluded that if a Primitive Discipline should be revived the Nation would by degrees lay down their prejudices and might in time be gained by gentle methods Gardiner on the other hand being of an abject and cruel temper himself thought the strict execution of the Laws against the Lollards was that to which they ought chiefly to trust if the Preachers were made publick Examples he concluded the People would be easily reclaimed for he pretended that it was visible if King Henry had executed the Act of the six Articles vigorously all would have submitted he confessed a Reformation of the Clergy was a good thing but all times could not bear it if they should proceed severely against scandalous Churchmen the Hereticks would take advantage from that to defame the Church the more and raise a clamour against all Clergymen Gardiner's spite was at this time much whetted by the reprinting of his Books of true Obedience which was done at Strasburg and sent over In it he had called King Henry's marriage with Queen Catherine Incestuous and had justified his Divorce and his second Marriage with his most godly and vertuous Wife Queen Anne This was a severe exposing of him but he had brow enough and bore down these reproaches by saying Peter had denied his Master but others said a Compliance of 25. years continuance was very unjustly compared to a sudden denial that was presently expiated with so sincere a Repentance The Queen was for joining both these Councils together and intended to proceed at the same time both against scandalous Churchmen and Hereticks After the Parliament was over there was a solemn Procession of many Bishops and Priests Bonner carrying the Host to thank God for reconciling the Nation again to Saint Peter's Chair and it having been done on St. Andrew's Day that was appointed to be an Anniversary and was called The Feast of the Reconciliation But soon after began the Persecution Rogers Hooper Taylor Bradford A Persecution set on foot and seven more were brought before the Council and asked one by one if they would return to the Union of the Catholick Church and acknowledge the Pope but they all answered resolutely that they had renounced the Pope's power as all the Bishops had also done they were assured he had no authority but over his own Diocess for the first four Ages so they could not submit to his Tyranny Gardiner told them Mercy was now offered them but if they rejected it Justice would be done next so they were all sent back to Prison except one who had great Friends so he was only asked if he would be an honest man and upon that promise was dismist They began with Rogers whose Imprisonment was formerly mentioned Many had advised him to make his escape and flie to Germany but he would not do it though a Family of Ten Children was a great Temptation Both he and Hooper were brought before Gardiner Rogers and Hooper condemned and burnt Bonner Tonstall and three other Bishops They asked them whether they would submit to the Church or not but they answered that they looked on the Church of Rome as Antichristian Gardiner said that was a reproach on the Queen Rogers said they honoured the Queen and lookt for no ill at her hands but as she was set on to it by them Upon that Gardiner and the other Bishops declared that so far were they from setting on the Queen to the executing of the Law that she commanded them to do it and this was confirmed by two Privy Councellours that were present In conclusion they gave them time till next Morning to consider what they would do and then they continuing firm they declared them obstinate Hereticks and degraded them but they did
Queen intended to dispose of the Crown in prejudice of the right Heir at which the House expressed so great a dislike as shewed they would not have it so much as imagined that Lady Elizabeth could be excluded He had a publick reprimend given him for insinuating a thing so much to the Queen's dishonour A Proposition of Marriage The carriage and usage of Lady Elizabeth all this Reign was at this time privately made by the King of Sweden to Lady Elizabeth but she rejected it because it was not sent to her by the Queen though the Messenger declared that his Master as he was a Gentleman began at her and as he was a King he had ordered him to propose it next to the Queen But she assured him that if the Queen would leave her to her self she would not change her state of life When the Queen knew of this she approved much of her Sister's answer and sent one to her to try her mind in it for now the Proposition was made to her but she expressed her dislike of a married state so firmly that this motion fell to the ground It seems her aversion was very great otherwise the condition she was then in was neither so easie nor so secure but that she had reason to desire to be out of her Keeper's hands and to apprehend that her danger encreased as the Queen's health was impaired for many of the Bishops were offering Cruel counsels against Her She had been first sent for upon the breaking out of Wiat's Conspiracy and though she lay then sick in Bed she was forc'd to come to Court There she was at first confined to her Lodgings and was afterwards carried to the Tower and led into it by the Traytor 's Gate and was strictly guarded Her Servants were put from her and none had access to her but those that were Spies upon her nor was she suffered to walk on the Leads or have the ordinary comforts of Air. Some were put to the Rack to draw Confessions from them but none accused her except Wiat and he retracted what he had said in hopes of a Pardon when he was upon the Scaffold When it appeared that nothing could be made out against her she was sent down to Woodstock and was kept under strict Guards and very roughly used by Sir Henry Benefield But King Philip so far mollified the Queen towards her that he prevailed with her to bring her to Court and to admit her to her Presence Gardiner and many others dealt much with her to confess her offences and ask the Queen's pardon but she always stood upon her Innocence and said she had never offended her not so much as in her thoughts When she was brought to the Queen she renewed the same protestations to her and begged that she would entertain a good opinion of her The Queen though she pressed her much to acknowledg some faultiness yet seemed to be satisfied with what she said and parted with her in good terms of which King Philip had some apprehensions for he had conveyed himself secretly into a corner of the Room that he might prevent a further breach in case the Queen should fall into heats with her After this her Guards were discharged and she seemed to be at liberty but she had so many Spies about her that to avoid all suspicion she medled in no sort of business but gave her self wholly to study Thus was she Imployed for five years during which time she was under continual apprehensions of Death which was perhaps a necessary preparation for that long course of Prosperity and Glory with which she was afterwards blest During the sitting of Parliaments the Bishops did always intermit their Cruelties but as soon as they were over they returned to them More burnings Cuthbert Simpson one in Deacons Orders had been taken at the Meeting in Islington and was rackt with extream severity to make him confess all the Friends they had in London but nothing was drawn from him so in March he and two others were burnt in Smithfield In April one was burnt at Hereford and in May three were burnt at Colchester Several Books were Printed beyond Sea and secretly conveyed into England upon which a Proclamation of a very strange nature was set out That if any received any of these Books and did not presently burn them without either reading them or shewing them to any Person they were to be Executed immediately by Martial Law Seven were burnt in Smithfield in the end of May and another Proclamation was at that time made in the Queens name against all that should speak to them or pray for them but no Authority could restrain those prayers which devout minds offered up secretly to God Six were burnt at Brainford in July a Minister was burnt at Norwich in that Month In August a Gentleman was burnt near Winchester At St. Edmondsbury four were burnt in August and three more in November at the same time a Man and a Woman were burnt at Ipswich a Woman was also burnt at Exeter and on the 10th of November three Men and two Women were burnt at Canterbury in all XXXIX this Year All that were burnt during this Reign as far as I could gather the number were 284. though Grindall that lived in that time writes that in two Years 800. were burnt many more were imprisoned 60. died in Prison others after much cruel usage Bonner himself often disciplining them with Whips and Tortures were prevailed on to abjure but carried in their minds a deep aversion to that Cruelty which had tempted them to such Apostasie At first pardons were offered at the Stake to tempt the Martyrs to the last moment of their life but afterwards the Priests Cruelty as it continued to the last Week of the Queens life so it encreased to that degree that Bembridge who was burnt near Winchester in August crying out when he felt the Violence of the fire that he recanted the Sheriff made his People put out the Fire and hoped that since the Clergy pretended that they desired the Conversion and not the destruction of the Hereticks this act of Mercy would not displease them but the Council writ to him ordering him to go on and execute the Sentence and to take care that he should dye a good Catholick for it was said if he recanted sincerely he was fit to dye and if he did it not sincerely he was not fit to live and when this was done the Sheriff was put in the Fleet for his Presumption This Year the Lord Clinton was sent with a Fleet of 120. Ships and 7000. Ill success strange accidents Land-men in it against France he made but one descent and lost 600. Men in it so after an inglorious and expenceful Voyage he returned back The English had lost their Hearts and began to think that Heaven was against them Extraordinary accidents encreased those Apprehensions Thunder broke violently in Nottingham the Trent swell'd
proposed to Heath who was still a Privy Councellour and he after some Conference about it with his Brethren accepted of it Nine of a side were to dispute about three Points Worship in an Unknown Tongue the power that every particular Church had to alter Rites and Ceremonies and the Masse's being a Propitiatory Sacrifice for the Dead and the Living All was to be given in in Writing The Bishops were to begin in every Point and they were to interchange their Papers and answer them The last of March was the first day of Conference which held in Westminster Abby in the presence of the Privy Council and both Houses of Parliament The Bishop of Winchester pretended there had been some mistake in the Order and that their Paper was not quite finished but that Dr. Cole should deliver in discourse what they had prepared though it was not yet in that order that it could be Copied out The secret of this was The Bishops had resolved openly to Vindicate their Doctrine but not to give any Papers or enter into dispute with Hereticks or so far to acknowledge the Queen's Supremacy as to engage in Conferences at her command Cole was observed to read almost all he said though he affected to be thought only to deliver a discourse so as if most part of it had been Extemporary The substance of it was Arguments for against the Worship in an unknown Tongue that though the Worship in a known Tongue had been appointed in the Scriptures yet the Church had power to change it as she changed the Sabbath and had appointed the Sacrament to be received fasting though it was Instituted after Supper to eat blood was forbid and a Community of goods was set up by the Apostles yet it was in the power of the Church to alter these things he enlarged on the evil of Schism and the necessity of adhering to the Church of Rome Vulgar Tongues changed daily but the Latine was the same was spread over many Countries The People might reap profit from Prayers which they understood not as well as absent Persons The Queen of Ethiopia's Eunuch read Isaiah though he understood him not and Philip was sent to explain that Prophecy to him Horn when this was ended read the Paper drawn by the Reformers he began it with a Prayer and a Protestation of their sincerity They founded their Assertion on Saint Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians in which he enjoyned them to pray with understanding that so the Unlearned might say Amen and that nothing should be spoken that might give an uncertain sound but that all things should be done to edification and though the speaking with strange Tongues was then an extraordinary gift of the Holy Ghost yet he forbids the using it where there was not an Interpreter Things so expresly enjoyned could not be indifferent or fall under the power of the Church The Jews had their Worship in the Vulgar Tongue so had also the most barbarous Nations when converted to Christianity The natural use of Speech was that every thing which was said might be understood Quotations were brought to shew that Psalms were daily sung in the Vulgar Tongue among all Nations When they ended their Paper it was received with a shout of applause and was put in the Lord Keeper's hands signed by them all But the Bishops refused to deliver theirs The next day was appointed for considering the second Point but the Bishops resolved to go no further in the Conference for they saw by the applause of the People that the Audience was more favourable to the other side so the next day of Meeting they offered an answer to the Paper given in the former day by the Reformers The Lord Keeper told them that according to the Order laid down they were first to go through the three Points before they might be suffered to reply but they said Cole had the former day only given his own sense in an Extemporary discourse Their foul dealing in this was condemned by the whole Audience so the Lord Keeper required them to go to the second Point but they refused to begin and moved that the other side should be made to begin and though the Lord Keeper shewed them that this was contrary to the Order agreed on before-hand yet they continued all resolute and would not proceed any further Ferknam only excepted but he said he could do nothing alone since the rest would not joyn with him The Bishops of Winchester and Lincoln said the Faith of the Church ought not to be examined except in a Synod of Divines and it gave too great an encouragement to Hereticks to dispute with them and that both the Queen and her Council deserved to be excommunicated for suffering them to argue against the Catholick Faith before an Unlearned Multitude Upon this they were sent to the Tower and the Conference broke up but the Reformers thought the advantage was much on their side and that things were now carried much more fairly than had been in those Conferences and Disputes that were in the beginning of the former Reign The Papists on the other hand said it was visible the Audience was prepossessed and that the Conference was appointed only to make way for the changes that the Parliament was then about with the Pomp of a Victory and therefore as they blamed the Bishops for undertaking it so they justified them for breaking it off The Book of Common-Prayer was now revised The English Service is again set up the most considerable alteration was that the express Declaration which was made in the second Book set out by King Edward against the Corporal Presence was left out that so none might be driven out of the Communion of the Church upon that account The matter was left undetermined as a speculative Point in which People were left at liberty The Book of Ordination was not specially mentioned in the Act which gave occasion to Bonner afterwards to question the Legality of Ordinations made by it But it had been made a part of the Common-Prayer-Book in the 5th year of King Edward and the whole Book then set out was now confirmed so that by a special Act made some years after this it was declared that that Office was understood to be a part of it When the Bill for the English Service was put in to the House of Lords Speeches made against it by some Bishops Heath and Scot Bishop of Chester and Ferknam made long Speeches against it grounded chiefly on the Authority of the Church the Antiquity of the established Religion and Novelty of the other which was changed every day as appeared in King Edward's time They said the consent of the Catholick Church and the perpetual succession in St. Peter's Chair ought to have more autherity than a few Preachers risen up of late They also enlarged much against the Sacriledge the robbing of Churches and the breaking of Images that had been committed by the
Reformers and those that favoured them What was said in opposition to this in the House of Lords is not known but a great deal of it may be gathered from the Paper which the Reformed Divines drew upon the second Point about which they were appointed to dispute of the power that every Church had to Reform it self This they founded on the Epistles of St. Paul to the particular Churches and St. John's to the Angels of the seven Churches In the first three Ages there were no General Councils but every Bishop in his Diocess or such few Bishops as could Assemble together condemned Heresies or determined matters that were contested so did also the Orthodox Bishops after Arianism had so over-spread the World that even the See of Rome was defiled with it And abuses were condemned in many places without staying for a general concurrence though that was then more possible when all was under one Emperour than it was at present Even in Queen Mary's time many superstitions as Pilgrimages the worshipping of Reliques were laid aside Therefore they concluded that the Queen might by her own authority reform even the Clergy as Hezekiah and Josias had done under the old Law When the Act past in the House of Lords eight Spiritual Lords and nine Temporal Lords protested against it among whom was the Marquess of Winchester Lord Treasurer Another Act past with more opposition that the Queen might reserve some Lands belonging to Bishopricks to her self as they fell void giving in lieu of them improprietated Tithes to the value of them but this was much opposed in the House of Commons who apprehended that under this pretence there might new spoils be made of Church-lands so that upon a Division of the House 90. were against it but 133. were for it and so it was past All Religious Houses founded by the late Queen were supprest and united to the Crown The deprivation of the Popish Bishops in King Edward's time was declared valid in Law by which all the Leases which had been made by those that were put in their Sees were good in Law A Subsidy and two Tenths and two Fifteenths with the Bill of Tonnage and Poundage were given and so the Parliament was dissolved on the 8th of May. Some Bills were proposed but not past one was for restoring the Bishops deprived by Queen Mary who were Barlow Scory and Coverdale but the first of these had been made to resign and the last being extream old resolved to follow Latimer's example and not return to his See So it was not thought worth the while to make an Act for Scory alone Another Bill that was laid aside was for restoring all Churchmen to their Benefices that had been turned Out because they were married but it seems it was not thought decent enough to begin with such an Act. Another Bill that came to nothing was for impowering XXXII Persons to revise the Ecclesiastical Laws but as this last was then let fall so to the great prejudice of this Church it has slept ever since After the Parliament was dissolved Many Bishops turned out the Oath of Supremacy was tendred to the Bishops and all except Kitchin Bishop of Landaffe refused it Tonstall continued unresolved till September and so long did the Queen delay the putting it to him But at last he refused it and so lost his Bishoprick It was generally believed that be quitted it rather because being extream old he thought it indecent to forsake his Brethren and to be still changing than out of any scruple he had in his Conscience concerning it All the Bishops were at first put under confinement but they were soon after set at liberty only Bonner White and Watson were kept Prisoners Many complaints were brought against Bonner for the Cruelties he had been guilty of against Law and the Tortures he had put his Prisoners to himself but yet the Queen resolved not to stain the beginnings of her Reign with blood and the Reformed Divines were in imitation of Nazianzen upon the like revolution in the Roman Empire exhorting their Followers not to think of revenging themselves but to leave that to God Heath lived privately at his own House in which he was sometimes visited by the Queen Tonstall and Thirleby were appointed to live in Lambeth with the new Archbishop White and Watson were morose and haughty Men much addicted to the School Divinity which has been often observed to incline People to an overvaluing of themselvs All the other Bishops except Pates Scot and Goldwell that had been Bishops of Worcester Chester and St. Asaph continued still in England but these had leave to go beyond Sea A few Gentlemen and all the Nuns went likewise out of England and so gentle was the Queen that she denied that Liberty to none that asked it The Queen inclined to keep Images still in Churches and though the Reformed Divines made many applications to divert her from it The Queen inclined to keep Images in Churches yet she was not easily wrought on The Divines put all their Reasons against them in Writing and desired her to commit the determining of that matter to a Synod of Bishops and Divines and not to take up an unalterable resolution upon Political Considerations They laid before her the second Commandment against making Images for God and the Curse pronounced against those that made an Image and put it in a secret place that is in an Oratory The Book of Wisdom calls them a snare for the feet of the Ignorant S. John charged the Christians to beware of Idols and not only of worshipping them The use of them fed superstition and ended in Idolatry and would breed great Divisions among themselves They shewed that Images were not allowed in the Church till the 7th Century and the Contests that were raised about them in the Eastern Empire occasioned such distractions as in a great measure made way for its ruine and laid it open to the Mahometans Thefe things wrought so much on the Queen that she was at last content they should be put down It was now resolved to send Visiters over England A General Visitation so Injunctions were prepared for them Those appointed in the first year of King Edward were now renewed with some little alteration To which Rules were added concerning the Marriages of the Clergy for avoiding the scandals given by them The Clergy were also required to use Habits according to their degrees in the Universities All People were to resort to their own Parish Church and some were to be appointed to examine and give notice of those who went not to Church all slanderous words were forbidden No Books were to be Printed without Licence Inquiry was ordered to be made into all the proceedings against Hereticks during the late Reign Reverence was to be expressed when the name Jesus was pronounced An Explanation was made of the supremacy that the Queen did not pretend to any authority for Ministring Divine