not left to the pleasure of the Abbot or Religious House to whom the Church belonged But the Bishops endowed the Vicarages with what proportion of Tithes and Emoluments they thought fit in many places reserved to the Vicar one half of all manner of Tithes and the whole Fees of all Sacraments Sacramentals c. in most places reserved to them not some little part of but all the Vicarage-tithes and in other places appointed to them an annual pension of Money In succeeding times when the first Endowments appeared too slender they encreased them at their pleasure Of all which our ancient Registers and Records give abundant testimony This was the case of all Vicarages As for those impropriated Livings which have now no settled Endowment and are therefore called not Vicarages but perpetual or sometimes arbitrary Curacies they are such as belonged formerly to those Orders who could serve the oure of them in their own persons as the Canons Regular of the Order of St. Austin which being afterwards devolved into the hands of Laymen they hired poor Curates to serve them at the cheapest rate they could and still continue to doe so Pag. 25. lin 28. Ridley elect of Rochester designed for that See by King Henry but not consecrated till September this Year 1547. If King Henry designed Ridley to be Bishop of Rochester he could not do it by any actual Nomination but only by Prophetical foresight of Longland's Death and Holbeach's Translation For the King died 1547 Ianuary 28th Longland of Lincoln died 1547. May 7th Holbeach of Rochester was elected to Lincoln 9th August So that until August there was no room for Ridley at Rochester Pag. 30. lin 17. The Form of bidding Prayer was used in the times of Popery as will appear by the Form of bidding the Beads in King Henry the 7th's time which will be found in the Collection The Form published by the Historian out of the Festival Printed Anno 1509. seemeth by the length of it and comparing it with another undoubtedly true Form to have been rather a Paraphrase or Exposition of the Form of bidding Beads I have therefore presented to the Reader a much shorter and ancienter Form taken out of an old written Copy Pag. 32. lin 13. Tonstall searching the Registers of his See found many Writings of great consequence to clear the Subjection of the Crown of Scotland to England The most remarkable of these was the Homage King William of Scotland made to Henry the Second by which he granted that all the Nobles of his Realm should be his Subjects and do Homage to him and that all the Bishops of Scotland should be under the Archbishop of York It was said that the Monks in those days who generally kept the Records were so accustomed to the forging of Stories and Writings that little Credit was to be given to such Records as lay in their keeping But having so faithfully acknowledged what was alledged against the Freedom of Scotland I may be allowed to set down a Proof on the other side for my Native Countrey copied from the Original Writing yet extant under the Hands and Seals of many of the Nobility and Gentry of that Kingdom It is a Letter to the Pope c. The ancient and allowed Laws of History exclude Partiality yet this Historian's great Concern for the Honour of his Countrey cannot well be called by any other name which hath induced him to publish and Instrument of the Nobility and Gentry of Scotland not at all relating to the History of our English Reformation If he thinketh that this Liberty ought to be allowed to him in recompence of the great Obligation he hath laid upon the English Nation for having so faithfully acknowledged what was alledged against the Freedom of Scotland we pretend that all Persons conversant in the History of our Nation did before this very well know all these Allegations and ten times as many of no less weight and that either he did not perfectly understand the Controversie or hath not so faithfully represented the Arguments of our side For King William did not herein make any new Grant to King Henry but only confirmed and acknowledged the ancient Dependence and Subjection of Scotland to England nor did he then first subject the Bishops of Scotland to the Archbishop of York but engaged that hereafter they should be subject to him as of right they ought to be and had wont to be in the time of the former Kings of England The Bishops of Scotland had been all along subject to the Archbishops of York but having about Eleven years before this obtained an Exemption of this Jurisdiction by a Bull of Pope Alexander the King of Scotland now undertook that they should not claim the benefit of that Exemption but be subject to the Church of England as formerly and the Bishops of Scotland also then present concurred with the King and promised for themselves although within a short time after they broke their Faith and procured a new and fuller Exemption from the Pope which Dempster placeth in the Year 1178. The Charter of King William before mentioned was made in 1175. But after all the Bishoprick of Galloway continued to be subject unto the Archbishop of York until towards the end of the Fifteenth Century when it was by the Pope taken from York and subjected to Glasgow then newly erected into an Archbishoprick Now whereas the Historian would invalidate the Authority of this Charter insinuating that it may justly be suspected to have been forged by the Monks because taken out of their Records and coming out of their Custody he may please to know that this very Charter may be found entire in the Printed History of Roger de Hoveden who was no Monk but a a Secular Clergy-man a Domestick of this King Henry attending him in all his Expeditions As for the pretence of the Nobility and Gentry of Scotland in their Letter written to the Pope Anno 1320. and published by the Historian it is not to be wondered if their minds being elated with unusual Success against our unfortunate King Edward II. they enlarged their Pretences and affected an independency from the Crown of England which their Forefathers never pretended to nor had themselves at any other time dared to arrogate All the principal Nobility and Gentry of Scotland had in the Year 1291. made as ample and authentick an Instrument of the Subjection of the Crown of Scotland to England as could be conceived before Edward had either Conquered or invaded their Countrey which Instrument Tonstall taketh notice of in his Memorial and this was indeed the most remarkable of all the Testimonies produced by Tonstall at least accounted by King Edward to be of so great moment that he sent a Copy of it under the Great Seal to every noted Abbey and Collegiate Church in England that it might be safely preserved and inserted into their several Annals It may be seen at length in the Printed History
extream old Age but he had reserved a Pension yearly for himself during Life out of the Lands of the Bishoprick and almost all the rest he had basely alienated taking care only for himself and ruining his Successors The Memory of Veysey suffers upon this Account on all hands The case of his Bishoprick indeed was very deplorable which from one of the richest in his time became the poorest of all the old English Bishopricks But had any Bishop of England sate at Exeter at that time he must have done the same thing or have been immediately deprived For Veysey alienated no Possessions of his See but upon express Command of the King directed to him under the Privy Seal in favour of certain Noblemen and Courtiers All the Bishops at that time were subjected to a like Calamity Even Cranmer was forced to part with the better half of the Possessions of his See and Ridley soon after his Entry into London was forced to give away the four best Mannors of his See for ever in one day These two were the greatest Favourites among all the Bishops in that Reign Others were yet more severely dealt with The common Pretence was to exchange some Lands of their Bishopricks with others of Religious Houses remaining in the King's hands since their Suppression Even then it was such an exchange as Diomedes made with Ajax But to Veysey no other recompence was made than the Promise of the Kings Good-will and Favour assured to him in the conclusion of all those Mandates in case of Compliance with them the effect of which Promises was that after he had complied with them to the ruin of his See he was forced to resign it per metum terrorem as himself afterward alledged All he could do was to Enregister at length all those Privy-Seals for the Vindication of himself to his Successors for ever which he hath carefully done Pag. 166. lin 4. Miles Coverdale was made Bishop of Exeter the business of Hooper was now also setled so he was consecrated in March 1551. The Historian hath inverted the true Order of their being made Bishops For Hooper was consecrated 1551. March 8th and Coverdale on the 30th of August following being nominated on the 27th of August according to King Edward's Journal Pag. 171. lin 34. This Year 1551. there were Six eminent Preachers chosen out to be the Kings Chaplains in Ordinary two of these were always to attend the Court and four to be sent over England to Preach in their Courses These were Bill Harley Pern Grindal Bradford the Name of the Sixth is so dashed in the King's Journal that it cannot be read It might be guessed from some Passages in the Council-Book that the Sixth Preacher was Knox. For 1552. October 21. A Letter was sent from the Privy-Council to Mr. Harley Bill Horn Grindal Pern and Knox to consider certain Articles exhibited to the Kings Majesty to be subscribed by all such as should be admitted to be Preachers or Ministers in any part of the Realm and to make report of their Opinions of the same Shortly after to Mr. Knox Preacher in the North Forty pounds were given by way of Gratuity And 1552. December 9th A Letter to the Lord Wharton in recommendation of Mr. Knox. And 1553. February 2. A Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury in favour of Mr. Knox to be presented by him to the Church of All-hallows in Breadstreet London Lastly 1553. Iune 2. A Letter to the Lord Russel and the Iustices of the Peace in Buckinghamshire in favour of Mr. Knox the Preacher The Author also of the History of the Church of Scotland ascribed to him relateth that he was first appointed Preacher to Barwick then to Newcastle and was at length called to London and to the South part of England To the Life of Bernard Gilpin wrote by Bishop Carleton is added a Letter from him to his Brother wherein he saith of himself that Secretary Cecil obtained for him from King Edward a License constituting him a general Preacher throughout the Kingdom so long as the King lived But after all I rather think that the Name of the Sixth Preacher was Thexton For I did near Twenty years since see in the hands of a worthy Clergyman descended from him an Original Commission under the King's Seal given to him whereby he was Authorized by him to Preach in the North-East parts of England I do not at so great distance of time fully remember the Contents of the Commission but I think it to have been such as agreeth well with the Time and Office of these six Preachers Pag. 171. c. The Business of the Lady Mary was now taken up with more heat than formerly The Council finding that her Chaplains had said Mass in one of her Houses they ordered them to be proceeded against Upon which in December the last Year viz. 1550. she writ earnestly to the Council to let it fall The Council writ her a long Answer So the Matter slept till the beginning of May 1551. In Iuly the Council sent for Three of her chief Officers and gave them Instructions to signifie the Kings Pleasure to her and to return with an Answer In August they came back and said that she charged them not to deliver their Message to the rest of the Family in which they being her Servants could not disobey her Upon this they were sent to the Tower The Lord Chancellour c. were next sent to her with a Letter from the King c There being some mistakes in this Relation I will amend them and add some farther light to the account out of the Council-Book The Emperour's Embassadours pressed the Council 1551. Febr. 16. to observe their promise made to him for permission to the Lady Mary of the exercise of her Religion till the King should come to age March 18. The King relateth in his Journal that he sent for her to Westminster and told her he could not any longer bear her practise Upon this next day the Emperour's Embassadour declared War to the King if he continued not to her the liberty of her Religion Thereupon Mar. 22. Cranmer Ridley and Poynet discoursed with the King about the lawfulness of the permission And March 23. the Council decreed to send Wotton to the Emperour who was not dispatched till the 10th of April and in the mean time to punish the offenders first of the King's Servants that heard Mass next of hers March 24. Sir Anth. Brown and Sergeant Morgan were sent to the Fleet for hearing Mass. Thus King Edward's Journal which I have observed to be often false in the days and especially in this place For in the Council-Book it is said March 18th the Emperour's Embassadour had access to the Council What was said by him or answered to him doth not appear it being probable that for more secrecy the Clerk was then excluded March 19. Serjeant Morgan was committed to the Fleet and March 22. Sir Anth.
Life of Cardinal Wolsey is cited out of a Manuscript ex MSS. Nobilis Viri c. This Life hath been twice printed So that it need not to have been cited with so much pomp out of a Manuscript Or if the written differs from the printed Copy that should have been observed If that long passage giving a character of the Cardinal which the Historian here transcribeth be taken Verbatim out of the Manuscript We have just reason to suspect that the Life contained in this Manuscript was not written by Cavendish but by some other who enlargeth on his words For in the printed Copies that passage is not to be found although somewhat like to it in much fewer words may be read therein Yet I have seen a fair Manuscript Copy of Cavendish's Life written above a hundred years since agreeing in all things with the printed Copy Pag. 8. lin 38. in marg Cardinal Wolsey exchanged the Bishoprick of Duresm for the Bishoprick of Winchester and had restitution of the Temporalities of Winchester 4 Maii anno 20 H. 8. The day here assigned for the restitution of the Temporalities of Winchester viz. 4 Maii falls into the year 1528. To which Mr. Fulman justly objects that the See of Winchester seems not to have been void before the 9 th of September this year for that Fox's Register reacheth so far To this the Historian answers that he took all these dates from the Rolls and must add that he hath often seen cause to question the exactness of Clerks in enrolling of dates To put the force of Mr. Fulmans objection beyond dispute I will add that Fox died not till the 14. of Sept. 1528. So that it cannot be avoided but that either the Record or the Historian must be mistaken The Historian chargeth it on the Record and not content with this brings the same charge of falsity against many other Records He who seeks to overthrow the Testimony of Records in the truth of which the honour of a whole Nation is so much concerned ought to be very sure Notwithstanding his asseveration I examined the Record and upon search found that not it but the Historian is mistaken For the Record truly saith that the Cardinal received the Temporalities of Winchester 6 April 20 H. 8. Which falls in the year 1529 and agreeth very well with the time of Fox's death and Wolseys installation which was performed by Proxy 1529. April 11. Mr. Fulman had also questioned the date of the restitution of the Temporalities of Lincoln assigned to be 4 Martii 5 H. 8. because Wolsey was not consecrated till the 26. of March I know not whether the answer subjoyned That this might be to give him a right to the mean profits by restoring the Temporalities before Lady day tho' he was not consecrated till the 26 th belong to Mr. Fulman or to the Historian But it proveth that neither of them knew the true state of this matter For whereas the restitution of the Temporalities of Lincoln to Wolsey before his consecration is here represented to have been if true an extraordinary case owing to his great favour and power at Court The truth is that at that time and for several Ages before Bishops received their Temporalities from the King immediately after their Confirmation even before Consecration and at their Confirmation did of course take out a writ from the Archbishop to the King signifying their Confirmation and in vertue of it desiring restitution of their Temporalities to be granted to them Wolsey therefore being provided to the Bishoprick of Lincoln by the Pope on the 6 th of Febr. no wonder that as soon as his Bulls came into England and had been allowed by the Archibshop he should immediately receive his Temporalities before consecration Pag. 9. lin 1. Even after Wolsey was Cardinal Warham as Lord Chancellor took place of him as appears from the Journals of the house of Peers 7 H. 8. and afterwards viz. after that Wolsey was made Lord Chancellor gave him place as appears on many occasions and particularly in the Letter written to the Pope 1530. which the Cardinal subscribed before Warham Many mistakes and false consequences are contained in these lines For 1. if Wolsey in the quality of Lord Chancellor took place of Warham it would follow that the Lord Chancellors as such ought to precede the Archbishops of Canterbury The contrary of which is known to be and to have always been true 2dly If Warham when Lord Chancellor took place of Wolsey when Cardinal in the house of Peers it doth not follow that at that time he took place of him elsewhere as the Historian would insinuate For in the House the Chancellor precedeth all other Peers and even the Archbishop of Canterbury among the rest as being in virtue of his Office Speaker of the House Nor could Wolsey be so extravagantly vain as to desire the Great Seal only that he might precede Warham in the Parliament For as the Historian observeth he affected to govern without Parliaments And accordingly for many years after he obtained the Great Seal had no Parliaments And even after the Seal was taken from him he still took place of Warham in the house of Peers 3dly If in the Letter wrote to the Pope 1530. The Cardinal subscribed before Warham he could not do this in the quality of Lord Chancellor as the Historian imagins For the Great Seal had been taken from him in the preceding year 1529 October 17. So that some other reason of Wolsey's precedence must be enquired And that reason is very obvious For Wolsey took place of Warham even before and after he was Lord Chancellor as being Cardinal This is confirmed by the relation of Cavendish Who in his Life saith that Warham checked him for his presumption in carrying himself as his equall but that shortly after Wolsey obtained to be made Cardinal and thereby got the better of Warham in that point Pag. 9. lin 4. We have nothing on Record to shew what a speaker he Cardinal Wolsey was If the word Record be here used in the Law-sence of it we grant it to be true But then it is not very pertinent But if it be used in an Historical sence it is a mistake For to pass by the many Letters Dispatches Instructions c. Which remain of the Cardinals own writing and which manifest that he had a great command of words as well as knowledge of things We have the assurance of one who as the Historian himself elsewhere observeth knew him very well and would not flatter him that he was much famed for his Eloquence His sentences in the Star-chamber were ever so pithy and witty that upon all occasions they assigned him for the fluent eloquence of his tongue to be their expositor in all proceedings he had an especial gift of natural eloquence and a fyled tongue to pronounce the same That he was able therewith to persuade and allure all men to his
purposes From hence it may appear how unhappy the conjecture of the Historian is who detracting from the praises of the Cardinal supposeth that he was no better a Speaker than the preceding Chancellors whom at the same time he maketh to have been very sorry Orators Pag. 11. lin 57. When any See was vacant the King recommended one to the Pope upon which his Bulls were expedited at Rome and so by a Warrant from the Pope he was consecrated and invested in the Spiritualities of the See The Historian here undertaketh to describe the way and process of making Bishops in England received for above 300 years before the Reformation In his description of it he hath committed several mistakes For first this method was not much used in England until within less than 200 years before the Reformation Secondly It was not even then always used For sometimes within that term Bishops were elected confirmed and consecrated without consulting the Pope in the least or expecting any Bulls from him Thirdly Even after the method of expecting Papal Bulls and proceeding in virtue of them was fully setled the King did not always recommend nor did the Pope always grant his Bulls to the person recommended But sometimes the Pope staid not for his Recommendation but granted his Bulls to whom he thought fit or after he had received the King's Letters granted his Bulls to some other whom himself liked better or whom the Archbishop or some powerfull Nobleman had recommended Indeed for about sixty years before the Reformation our Kings had got the better of the Popes in this matter and drawn the disposition of Bishopricks to themselves yet not altogether for the Popes by their authority and pleasure disposed of Worcester at least three times together within that term and after all 4thly the Bishops were not first consecrated and then invested in the Spiritualities of the See But the practice was all along contrary For they received the Spiritualities of their Sees immediately upon Confirmation and the sentence of their Confirmation was ever accompanied with a decree for their being put in possession of their Spiritualities and a mandate directed to the Guardian of the Spiritualities to deliver them up to them Pag. 11. lin 35. Though the Parliament and two or three high-spirited Kings had given some interruption to the cruel exactions and other illegal proceedings of the Court of Rome yet that Court always gained their designs in the end Not always For if that were true our Nation had indeed been very tame But I hope the English are not descended of such a dastardly generation Our Ancestors had before the Reformation got the better of the Court of Rome in many points controverted between them and those of the greatest moment Further not onely two or three of our High-spirited Kings had given some interruption to that Court. Of all our Kings since the Conquest Richard II. and Henry VI. were the farthest from being high-spirited Yet very great if not the greatest interruption was given in their Reigns Not to say that the interruption under Edward III. was not made till the latter end of his Reign when he was nothing less than high-spirited Pag. 12. lin 5. But when this began viz. That Bishops receiving their Temporalities from the King should renounce the benefit of the Papal Bulls in relation to them or any Claim to them to be derived from thence I leave to the more Learned in the Law to discover I do not pretend to be Learned in the Law Yet my small knowledge in the Antiquities of my Country enableth me to discover this if it is to be called a Discovery This Custom began in the Year 1272 when a like Renunciation was required of Robert Kilwardby collated by the Pope to the Archbishoprick of Canterbury And shortly after the Papal Bulls of Provision increasing the matter was fully setled about the Year 1300. Pag. 21. lin 45. In the Days of King Edgar most of the Secular Clergy being then married and refusing to put away their Wives were by Dunstan c. turned out of their Livings The Historian here and in the following Lines seemeth to have been Ignorant of the ancient English History Dunstan Ethelwald and Oswald ejected the married Secular Clergy only out of two Cathedral Churches and some few Monasteries if the then Possessors of Monasteries may be called Seculars They endeavoured indeed to eject them out of other Cathedrals and Monasteries but could not effect their Design As for the great Body of the Secular Clergy the Parish-Priests Dunstan and his Complices were so far from turning most of them out of their Livings on account of their Marriages that they never attempted it They declaimed indeed furiously against their use of Marriage as sinful and would have persuaded them from it but never forbad it to them by any solemn Sanction much less deprived them of their Livings upon it All this the Historian might have learned from the Writings of our eminent Divines at the time of the Reformation if he thought himself not obliged to read the ancient Histories of our Nation For Bishop Poynet in his Defence of Priests Marriages maintains that Marriage of Priests was not forbidden in England before King Henry the First And when Dr. Martin in his Answer to Poynet exclaimed against his Assertion as false the Annonymous Author of the long and learned Defence of Priests Marriages published by Archbishop Parker defended it and shewed the truth of it from the antient Histories proving that Dunstan Ethelwald and Oswald expelled Secular married Priests only out of some Cathedral Churches All which is more largely and accurately proved by the Archbishop in his Additions to that Treatise Pag. 21. lin 49. There is in the Rolls an Inspeximus of King Edgar's erecting the Priory and Convent of Worcester signed by the King two Archbishops five Bishops six Abbots but neither Bishoprick nor Abbey are named six Dukes and five Knights but there is no Seal to it Had this Historian been acquainted with our English Antiquities he would have known that this very Charter hath been often and long since published in the Monasticon in Spelman's Councils and elsewhere and would not have imagined himself to have discovered some rare Secret in this Inspeximus Or if he had been acquainted with our Rolls he would not have expected to find in an Inspeximus the Seal of an Original Charter enrolled in it Or if he had been conversant in our ancient Records and Charters made before the Norman times he would have spared his Observations of the want of a Seal to this Charter although he had seen the Original Charter and observed this in it and of the not naming either Bishoprick or Abbey therein For they who know this to be the Case of the far greater part of the Instruments and Charters of those times would no more have made such an Observation than after having said that they had seen a Man named Titius
they would have added that he had a Nose on his Face Pag. 22. lin 10. The Monks being thus setled in most Cathedrals of England So also p. 187. lin 20. King Edgar converted most of the Chapters into Monasteries This surely was wrote at adventure Mr. Fulman had before observed that the Monks were not setled in half the Cathedrals of England To which I may add that they were then setled in no more than two Cathedrals viz. Winchester and Worcester Nor were any more Chapters converted into Monasteries in the time of King Edgar The married Clergy were then indeed ejected out of Ely and Monks planted in their Room But that Church was not a Cathedral until near 140 years after Afterwards indeed about the end of the eleventh Age Monks were setled in some other Cathedrals or Episcopal Sees fixed in Monasteries to omit one Cathedral viz. that of Canterbury in which Monks were introduced in the beginning of the same Age. But after all far from being setled in most Cathedrals they were setled in no more than Nine viz. Canterbury Winchester Duresm Worcester Rochester Ely Norwich Bath and Coventry The Church of Carlisle indeed was possessed by Regulars but those were Canons not Monks Pag. 22. lin 10 15. The Monks being thus setled gave themselves up to idleness and pleasure having in their hands the chief Encouragments of Learning and yet doing nothing towards it but on the contrary decrying and disparaging it all they could This is a very hard Censure to pass upon a whole Order of men who were once very honourable but always serviceable in the Church On the contrary after they were thus setled viz. by Dunstan Ethelwald and Oswald in the Reign of Edgar they set themselves in with great Industry to restore Learning and root out that universal Ignorance which had then prevailed in England and effectually performed it Insomuch as whereas before that time scarce any Secular Priest in England could read or write a Latin Epistle within few years as Elfric a learned Disciple of Ethelwald boasteth the face of things was so changed by the endeavours of Dunstan and his Master Ethelwald that Learning was generally restored and began to flourish At that time and long after the Monasteries were the Schools and Nurseries of almost the whole Clergy as well Secular as Regular For the Universities if there were any were then very mean Societies and the whole Learning of the Nation was then in a manner confined to their Cloysters As the Universities increased they gradually decreased yet still retained and cultivated Learning till about the middle of the 13 th Age when the Mendicant Orders arose who by their Hypocrisie jugling Tricks and extraordinary Industry ran down both them and the Secular Clergy Within two hundred years the Mendicants became contemptible and then both the Monks and the Seculars began to recover their ancient Credit and long before the Reformation had made great progress in the Restauration of Learning They had all along brought up their Novices in Learning every Great Monastery having for that purpose a peculiar Colledge in one of the Universities and even to the time of their Dissolution they continued to bring up great numbers of Children at School at their own Charge for the Service of the Church and immediately before the Reformation many of the great Monasteries were so many Nurseries of Learning and the Superiors of them very Learned themselves and Promoters of Learning in others Such were Kidderminster Abbot of Winchelcomb Goldwell Prior of Canterbury Voche Abbot of St. Austins Wells Prior of Ely Holbeach Prior of Worcester Islip Abbot of Westminster Webbe Prior of Coventry and many others I do not hereby Apologize for the Laziness of the Monks in the middle Ages but maintain that both in the time of Edgar and some time after and immediately before the Reformation they deserved a contrary Character to what the Historian giveth of them and that even in the worst times they were far from being Enemies and Opposers of Learning as he would have it believed Pag. 22. lin 31. To suppress some Monasteries was thought as justifyable as it had been many Ages before to change Secular Prebends into Canons Regular This is not so accurately expressed the conversion of Secular Prebendaries into Canons Regular the Historian supposeth to have been made often and in many Churches But it was never done save in one Cathedral Church of England that of Carlisle Secular Prebendaries had in several Churches been changed into Monks But Monks are a distinct Order from Canons Regular Pag. 23. lin 12. Wickliffe was supported by the Duke of Lancaster the Bishops could not proceed against him till the Duke of Lancaster was put from the King and then he was condemned at Oxford It might have become Varillas very well to have wrote this of Wickliffe but such a mistake is unworthy of an accurate and Reformed Historian who ought especially to take care of doing justice to the Memory of that Great man Far from being condemned at Oxford during his own Life or the Life of the Duke of Lancaster his Person was had in great Esteem and Veneration at that University to the last and his Writings for many years before and after his Death were as much read and studied there as of Aristotle or the Master of the Sentences Nay so much concerned was that University for his Reputation that near twenty years after his Death hearing that false Reports had been spread abroad in foreign Parts as if Wickliffe had been convicted of Heresie in England and his Body thereupon disinterred and burnt the Chancellor and Senate of the University published a Manifesto wherein they gave to him a great Character of Learning and Piety called him a valiant Champion of the Faith and declared that he had never been convicted of Heresie nor his Body disinterred Absit enim quod tantae probitatis virum c. Indeed four years after this the Authority of the Pope and King concurring with the restless Endeavours of Archbishop Arundel several of his Writings were condemned and burnt at Oxford and eighteen years after this his Body was taken up and burned Pag. 23. lin 13. Many Opinions are charged upon Wickliffe but whether he held them or not we know not but by the Testimony of his Adversaries It seemes the Historian knew not any certain means of gaining Information of Wickliff's true Opinions but when he would include all others in the same Ignorance of them we must desire to be excused We have as many of the Works of Wickliffe yet extant as if Printed together would make four or five Volumes in Folio And whether so many Books be not sufficient to teach us his Opinions let the Reader judge Pag. 23. lin 16. Wickliffe translated the Bible out of Latin into English with a long Preface before it in which he reflected severely on the Corruptions of the Clergy condemned the worshipping of Saints and
Images c. This Preface indeed was published at London 1550. under the name of Wickliffe and hath generally passed for his But after all Wickliffe did not write it but the Author of the other old English Translation of the Bible For we have two Translations of the Bible made about that time one by Wickliffe the other by an unknown Person In the Preface the Author giveth several Specimens of his Translation of many difficult places of Scripture which agree not with Wickliff's but with the other Translation Further the Author of the Preface inveighs sharply against the Discipline and Members of the University of Oxford which it is certain Wickliffe would never have done for Reasons before mentioned That Wickliffe condemned praying to Saints we have only the Testimony of his Adversaries I will not affirm any thing at this time but I have reason to suspect the contrary Pag. 25. lin 27. Iohn Braibrook Bishop of London then Lord Chancellor viz. 26 Maii Anno 5. Ricardi 2. His name was Rober Braibrook and he was not Lord Chancellor until the Sixth Year of King Richard Pag. 35. lin 28. The two Prelates that were then in the Year 1503 between February and December in greatest esteem with King Henry the 7 th were Warham Archbishop of Canterbury and Fox Bishop of Winchester Warham was not translated from London to Canterbury till 1504. Ianuary 23. Pag. 88. lin 10. This the small Allowance made by the King to Crook his Agent in foreign Universities I take notice of because it is said by others that all the Subscriptions that he procured were bought So pag. 89. in imo Margine No Money nor Bribes given for Subscriptions This is endeavoured to be farther proved pag. 90. However it might be then thought necessary or useful to procure the Determinations of foreign Universities in favour of the Divorce of King Henry thereby the better to satisfie the Clergy at home and to justifie the Divorce abroad yet to those who know very well that this National Church had sufficient Authority to determine such a Controversie without consulting foreign Universities it will not be accounted a matter of any moment whether these were bribed or not I will not therefore scruple to set down the Testimonies of two undeniable Witnesses who lived at that time and could not but know the truth of the whole matter The first is of Cornelius Agrippa of whom the Historian himself giveth this Character Cornelius Agrippa a man very famous for great and curious Learning and so satisfied in the Kings Cause that he gave it out that the thing was clear and indisputable for which he was afterwards hardly used by the Emperor and died in Prison If this Great Person then had any partiality in this Cause it lay on the side of the King yet in one of his Books he hath these words Sed quis credidisset Theologos in rebus fidei conscientiae non solum amore odio invidia perverti sed nonnunquam etiam flecti conviviis muneribus abduci a vero nisi ipsi illius sceleris fidem fecissent in Anglicani Matrimonii damnatione Who would have believed that Divines in matters of Faith and Conscience are not only perverted by Love Hatred or Envy but also sometimes bribed by Banquets or drawn from the truth by Gifts unless themselves had given evident Proof of this Vileness in condemning the Marriage of the King of England The other is Mr. Cavendish an honest plain Gentleman first a Servant of Cardinal Wolsey afterwards highly obliged by King Henry He in writing the Life of his Master the Cardinal giveth this account of the whole matter It was thought very expedient that the King should send out his Commissioners into all Universities in Christendom there to have this Case argued substantially and to bring with them from thence every Definition of their Opinions of the same under the Seal of the University And thereupon divers Commissioners were presently appointed for this Design So some were sent to Cambridge some to Oxford some to Lovain others to Paris some to Orleance others to Padua all at the proper Costs and Charge of the King which in the whole amounted to a great Summ of Money And all went out of this Realm besides the Charge of the Embassage to those famous and notable Persons of all the Universities especially such as bare the Rule or had the Custody of the University Seals were fed by the Commissioners with such great Summs of Money that they did easily condescend to their Requests and grant their Desires By reason whereof all the Commssioners returned with their Purpose furnished according to their Commissions under the Seal of every several University Pag. 107. lin 5. For then about the time of Edward I. the Popes not satisfied with their other Oppressions did by Provisions Bulls and other Arts of that See dispose of Bishopricks Abbeys and lesser Benefices to Foreigners Cardinals and others that did not live in England This is a very wide mistake For the Popes did not then dispose of Bishopricks and Abbeys to Foreigners Cardinals and others that did not live in England The Popes did not give any Bishoprick of England to any Foreigner that did not live therein till about Thirty years before the Reformation when it was not done without the Kings good liking and in Vertue of some secret compact between them As for Abbeys from the first Foundation to their Dissolution the Popes never gave any one to a Foreigner not residing For Cardinal Abbots there never was any besides Cardinal Wolsey and of him it is well known that he had his Abbey from the gift of the King and lived in England The matter therefore complained of in the Preamble of the Act of Parliament 25 Edw. I. which the Historian inserteth was this That whereas Bishops and Abbots ought to be Elected by their several Chapters and Convents and these Elections to be confirmed by the King the Popes had taken upon them to Annul the Elections of Chapters and then to substitute whomsoever themselves pleased without a new Election or to dispose of them without expecting any Election yet still none of these were granted to Cardinals or to Foreigners not residing in England And whereas the Popes had usurped the Presentation of and given to Aliens although not residing other Benefices as Deanries Prebends and Parsonages which ought of right to belong to their proper Patrons against these Encroachments a Remedy was desired and provided in this Act. Several Foreigners had a little before this time been preferred to Bishopricks such as Boniface Archbishop of Canterbury Adomarus de Lesignan Bishop of Winchester Petrus de Aqua-blanca Bishop of Hereford But these came in by the Election of their several Chapters overawed thereto by the Power and Authority of King Henry III to whose Queen they were related by near Kindred and after all resided upon their Sees unless when diverted by Employment in the business of
never thought on till the Year 1106 and was compleated in the Year 1109. Pope Nicholas II died in the Year 1061 and Pope Nicholas III obtained the Papacy in 1277. We desire to know which of these two the Historian meaneth Not the former surely But neither did the latter any more than the former concern himself in a matter done so long before his time It was Pope Paschal II whose Bulls of Confirmation were pretended to have been sent immediately after the Erection of the Bishoprick But even those seem to have been forged Pag. 316. lin 44. In the time of Popery there had been few Sermons but in Lent If he speaks of the ancient times of Popery it may be true But for some time before the Reformation Preaching seems to have been more frequent in England For Dr. Lichfield Rector of All-Saints in Thames Street London who died in the Year 1447 left behind him 3083. Sermons wrote with his own hand and preached at several times by him All these Sermons could not be preached in Lent After him we have the Examples of Bradley the Suffragan Bishop of Norwich who died in the Year 1492. after he had spent many years in travelling about that Diocess and Preaching in it of Dr. Colet Dean of S. Pauls who constantly preached or expounded the Scriptures either in his own or in some other Church of the City of Dr. Collingwood Dean of Lichfield who preached in that Cathedral every Sunday for many years together The Practice seemeth not to have been unfrequent long before this time and in some places to have been commanded to all the Parish-Priests For in the Constitutions of Iohn de Thoresby Archbishop of York made about the Year 1360. I found a Command to all the Parochial Clergy to preach frequently to their People and explain to them the Articles of Faith in the English Tongue and an Exhortation directed to the People to here Goddys Service every Soneday with Reverence and Devocioun and seye devowtly thy Pater-Noster c. and here Goddys Lawe taught in thy Modyr Tonge For that is bettyr than to here many Massys Pag. 328. lin 37. Dr. Lee Dean of York was brought up about All-hallow-tide in the Year 1543. and sent into Kent So also Append. pag. 292. lin 38. Leighton brought in Lee to be a Visitor of the Monasteries but they were of the Popish party and Lee was Cranmer's Friend He was in Orders and soon after the Visitation of Monasteries performed by him was made Dean of York Lee was never Dean of York For Higden who was made Dean in 1516 died in 1537. To him succeeded Dr. Layton for so his name is to be wrote not Leighton for he was no Scot who died in the Year 1544 and was succeeded by Dr. Wotton who died in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth Pag. 333. lin 24. Bell that was Bishop of Worcester had resigned his Bishoprick the former year viz. in the Year 1544 the Bishop of Rochester Heath was translated to that See And upon the Translation of Sanepson from Chicester to Litchfield Day was made Bishop of that See Bell had resigned his Bishoprick in the Year 1543. For Heath was Elected to succeed him December 22. 1543. Sampson's Translation preceded even that of Heath for Day was Elected to Chicester void by his Translation April 24. 1543. Pag. 337. lin 14. None of the Preachers were either Actors or Consenters to the murder of Cardinal Beaton I do not find that any of them justified it Knox gave a violent Suspicion of his consenting to it and justifying it when the Murderers being immediately after the murder committed besieged in the Castle he conveyed himself in among them and became their Chaplain The Author of the History of the Church of Scotland which passeth under Knox his Name extolls the murder as a Noble and Heroical Action If Knox were not yet at least one of the Scotch Preachers was the Author of this History There is no Villany of this kind so black which may not be believed of Scotch Presbyterians since they have in our days as inhumanely murdered another Archbishop of St. Andrews and justifyed it and commended it as a meritorious Action Pag. 349. lin 35. This leads me to discover many things concerning the Will of King Henry VIII which have been hitherto unknown I draw them from a Letter written by Maitland of Leithington Secretary of State to the Queen of Scotland The design of it is to clear the right his Mistress had to the Crown of England Therein he proveth King Henry's Will to be a Forgery because it was not signed with the King 's own Hand but those about him put the Stamp to it when they saw his Death approaching For this he appealed to the Deposition of the Lord Paget and desired the Marquess of Winchester c. Dr. Buts and some others might be examined Thus it appears what vulgar Errors pass upon the World Here the Historian maketh great Ostentation of his own performance imagining that he hath entirely overthrown the Credit of all our English Histories and convicted the English Nation of a blind credulity But we beg leave to put in our Exceptions Maitland as Secretary to the Queen of Scotland might do well to urge any Argument tending to the Service of his Mistress whether true or false But what is allowable to a States-man herein is not to an Historian It is manifest that Maitland was ill informed in one Circumstance and if so all the rest may be suspected as being received from the same Authority For he affirms Dr. Buts the Kings Physician to have been present at his Death when the Stamp was set to the Will Now Dr. Buts died 1545. 17th November as his Epitaph in the Church at Fulham testifieth But King Henry died not till the 28th Ianuary 1546 7 not 1547 8 as the Inscription under his Picture prefixed to this History beareth So that the whole Story alledged by Maitland may be as much a Forgery as King Henry's Will is by the Historian said to be Pag. 353. lin 37. But if he Fisher Bishop of Rochester had kept his opinion of the King's Supremacy to to himself they could not have proceeded farther He would not do that but did upon several Occasions speak against it so he was brought to his Tryal The Historian doth more than once insist upon this I am very unwilling to deliver any thing without present Evidence yet I do very well remember that some years since I saw in writing a Complaint of Bishop Fisher's declaring the unhandsome dealing of those who from time to time were sent by the King to discourse with him in Prison how that having urged him to declare his Reasons against the King's Supremacy and assured him that in so doing he should receive no prejudice they obtained of him to do it and then made use of such his Declaration to his Destruction grounding their Testimony of his Recusancy upon it Pag. 358.
29. A Letter to ...... to make a Book to the Bishop of Worcester and Glocester of discharge of the First-fruits and Tenths to be paid for the same in Consideration that he hath departed with certain Lands to the Kings Majesty Now Hooper had been Consecrated Bishop of Glocester in the beginning of the Year 1551. and therefore could now in 1552. be called Bishop Elect only in respect of Worcester Nor could he now be charged with First-fruits and Tenths on any other Account than of the Temporalties of Worcester newly received by him Nor could he have passed away any of the Lands of Worcester to the King if he had not once Possession of them But to put the matter past all Dispute I will alledge an Order of Council fully proving that Hooper did enjoy the Revenue of Worcester For 1552. September 24. the Council directed a Letter to the Dean of Worcester to cause the Rent-Corn of the Bishoprick to be reserved to the Bishop notwithstanding Hethe 's Claim to the same Pag. 216. lin 15. How Tonstall Bishop of Duresm was deprived I cannot understand It was for Misprision of Treason and done by Secular men in the Year 1553. What was done in the Case of Tonstall till the end of the Year 1551. was before related out of the Council-Book I will here add out of the same Book what afterwards occurs relating to him 1552. September 21. A Letter unto the Chief Iustice signifying unto him that there is presently sent to him the Commission addressed to him and others for the Limitation and Determination of the Bishop of Duresm 's Case with also eight Letters and other Writings touching the same which he is willed to consider and proceed to the hearing and ordering of the Matter as soon as he may get the rest of his Collegues to him By these Commissioners Tonstall was deprived on the 11 th of October 1552. according to King Edward's Journal On the 31. of Oct. following it was ordered in Council that Sir John Mason should deliver to the use of Dr. Tonsâ—all remaining Prisoner in the Tower such Money as should serve for his necessities untill such time as farther Order shall be taken touching the Goods and Money lately appertaining to him and that the Lord Wharton cause the Accompts of the Revenues of the Bishoprick of Duresm as well for the second and third Years of the late Bishops entry into the same as for two Years last past to be searched for and sent hither with speed Pag. 216 lin 8. Ridley as himself writes in one of his Letters was named to be Bishop of Duresme but the thing never took effect It so far took effect that Ridley was actually translated from London to Durham For in the Instrument of the restitution of Bonner to the See of London in the beginning of Queen Mary's Reign it is alledged that the See of London was then void by the Removal of Ridley to Durham made by King Edward after the Deprivation of Tonstall and Bonner was thereupon re-instated in London without pronouncing Ridley deprived of the See of London but on the contrary Ridley is in the Register declared to have been deprived of the Bishoprick of Durham for Heresie and Sedition Pag. 242. lin 39. Iune 1553. the Seal was on the 13th of August given to Gardiner who was declared Lord Chancellour of England Stow who is very exact in denoting the times of things falling within the compass of his own observation saith that the Seal was delivered unto Gardiner on the 23d of Aug. His Patent for the Office of Lord Chancellour bears date on the 21st of September according to Sir William Dugdale's accurate Catalogue of the Chancellours c. of England With Stow agreeth Grafton herein Pag. 247. lin 5. Pag. 248. lin 35. The Commission for restoring Bonner bearing date the 22d of Aug. was directed to some Civilians who pronounced his former Sentence of Deprivation void Thus he was restored to his See on the 5th of September 1553. Stow and Grafton affirm that Bonner was restored to his Bishoprick in the beginning of August and that he caused the use of the Mass and other Roman Ceremonies to be renewed in his Cathedral Church on the 27th of August Pag. 249. lin 17. P. 314. l. 36. P. 348 l. 38. Cranmer protested that the Mass was not set up at Canterbury by his Order but that a fawning hypocritical Monk this was Thornton Suffragan of Dover had done it Anno 1553 without his knowledge Thornton Suffragan of Dover resolved to shew his zeal for Popery Anno 1555. This Thornton had from the first Change made by King Henry been the most officious and forward in every turn In the Month of Iune 1557. Fourteen Protestants were destroyed in two days by Thornton and Harpsfield There was but one Suffragan Bishop in the Diocess of Canterbury of the Name of Thornton He was Suffragan to Archbishop Warham in the Year 1508. and had his Title not from Dover but in partibus Infidelium and died long before Cranmer's time The Suffragan under Cranmer and Pole was Richard Thornden sometimes Monk afterwards upon the Suppression of the Priory first Prebendary of the Church of Canterbury He died in the end of year 1557 or rather in the beginning of 1558. Pag. 250. lin 8. On the 13th of September Latimer and Cranmer were called before the Council Latimer was that day committed but Cranmer was respited till next day and then he was sent to the Tower If Stow may be believed Latimer was sent to the Tower on the 14th and Cranmer on the 15th of September 1553. Pag. 250. lin 17. 24. There was an Order sent to Iohn a Lasco and his Congregation to be gone Alasco after a long and hard passage arriving at Denmark was ill received there From thence they went first to Lubeck then to Wismar and Hamburgh and at last planted themselves in Friseland A most exact account of the Foundation and Dissolution of this German Congregation in England with their subsequent Removals was written by Utenhovius one of the Ministers at the desire of the Congregation and is printed at Basil 1560 86. with this Title Simplex fidelis Narratio de institutâ demum dissipatâ Delgarum aliorumque Peregrinorum in Anglia Ecclesiâ per Iohannem Utenhovium Gandavum being approved by Iohn a Lasco and the rest as a true account From this Narration it appears that although some of the Company went to Hamburgh Lubeck Wismar c. Yet that Alasco himself went not thither with them He left Denmark on the 19th of November passed through Holsatia and arrived at Embden the 4th of December He was accompanied with a Servant of the King of Denmark by whom he sent back a severe or rather unmannerly Letter to the King In this same Relation of Utenhovius is printed at large the Charter given by King Edward to Iohn a Lasco and his Congregation which the Historian had before mentioned and put
in Woods and secret Places as a faithfull and holy Shepherd preaching to them and administring the Sacraments and for this purpose lurking up and down in England at last died like an exile in his own Countrey Pag. 327. lin 25. It was thought that Pole himself hastned the Execution of Cranmer who was executed in March 1556. longing to be invested with that See which the only personal blemish I find laid on him I am very unwilling to believe that a Person of such eminent vertue as Cardinal Pole is by all allowed to have been could be guilty of so base an Action The truth is he could have no such design For it was before shewed that the See of Canterbury had been actually voided immediately upon the Attainture of Cranmer in the end of the year 1553. After his Attainture at home and deposition and excommunication pronounced at Rome of which I spoke before he was dead to the Canon as well as Common Law His natural Life could be no obstacle to the advancement of Pole to the Archbishoprick And accordingly that very Pope Paul of whom the Historian maketh Pole to have been so much afraid lest he should defeat his hope of the Archbishoprick if Cranmer's Life were not quickly taken away had by a Bull dated 1555. Decemb. 11. collated or provided Pole to the Archbishoprick of Canterbury constituting him Administrator of the Archbishoprick till he should be ordained Priest and after that appointing him Archbishop with full Power and Jurisdiction Upon the reception and publication of these Bulls in England which was about the beginning of the following Month Pole was to all intents and purposes fully possessed of the Archbishoprick although he was not consecrated till the 22d of March following the day after Cranmer's Martyrdom The Historian reneweth this Charge against Pole pag. 340 but there urgeth the same argument only namely his choosing the next day after Cranmer's Death for his Consecration which is of no moment since Cranmer had in his account and in Canon and Common Law ceased long since to be Archbishop of Canterbury and himself had been possessed of the Archbishoprick above two Months Pag. 326. lin 38. Although Cardinal Pole had an only Brother David that had continued all King Henry's time in his Archdeaconry of Darby he did not advance him till after he had been two years in England and then he gave him only the Bishoprick of Peterborough one of the poorest of the Bishopricks Cardinal Pole had three Brothers and this David was not his Brother Bacatelli who wrote his Life had been his Secretary and Domestick Servant for near twenty Years before his Death He had reason therefore to know the Cardinals Kindred and he affirmeth that the Cardinal had three Brothers Henry Lord Montacute condemned of Treason and executed in the year 1538. Arthur condemned for Treason in 1562. and Geofry condemned in 1538 but neither executed and two Sisters Then whereas David Pole is said by the Historian to have been preferred to Peterborough one of the poorest of the Bishopricks in truth Peterborough was at that time none of the least Bishopricks in England having been endowed by King Henry far above any of the new erected Bishopricks and made equal in revenue to most of the ancient Bishopricks and so continued until Scambler the Successor of this David Pole did by a Simoniacal Contract convey away the better part of the Possessions of it to a Noble Person of the Neighbourhood that he might thereby make way for his own Translation to the Bishoprick of Norwich to do the like Mischief there Pag. 340. lin 20. On the 28th of March Pole came in State through London to Bow-Church where the Bishops of Worcester and Ely put the Pall about him He received and was solemnly invested with his Pall at Bow-Church on the 25th of March as his own Register testifieth which is confirmed by Stow. Pag. 340. lin 22. This was a Device set up by Pope Paschal the second in the beginning of the twelfth Century for the engaging of all Archbishops to a more immediate dependance on that See they being after they took the Pall to act as the Popes Legates born as the Phrase was of which it was the Ensign But it was at first admitted with great Contradiction both by the Kings of Sicily and Poland the Archbishops of Palermo and Gnesna being the first to whom they were sent all men wondring at the Novelty of the thing and of the Oath which the Popes required of them at the Delivery of it I cannot sufficiently admire that any learned Man should commit so great a Mistake None conversant in the History of the Church can be ignorant that the Custom of sending Palls from Rome to the Archbishops owning any Dependance upon that See or Relation to it began many hundred years before Pope Paschal the Second Pope Gregory the First had sent a Pall to Augustin the first Archbishop of Canterbury and all the Archbishops from him to the Reformation did singly receive Palls from Rome if sudden Death did not prevent them before the Reception In like manner all the English Archbishops of York from the beginning if we except two or three who for that reason claimed not Archiepiscopal Priviledges received their Palls from thence and so also all the Archbishops of the Western-Church which held any Communication with the See of Rome When they were first sent to Archbishops and for several Ages after no Oath of Obedience to the See of Rome was exacted at the Delivery of them Thus the Historian is found to have erred in fixing the time of their beginning and in affixing a constant Oath to them But farther he hath widely mistaken the Design of them which was not to constitute those who received them Legati Nati to the See of Rome For if that were true all the Archbishops of Canterbury from the first Foundation of the See almost all the Archbishops of York and the other Archbishops of the Western Church would have been Legati Nati to the Pope whereas in truth the Number of Legati Nati in Christendom is very small not exceeding four or five the Archbishops of York never were Legati Nati nor the Archbishops of Canterbury till about the Year 1200. When Archbishop Herbert first obtained that Priviledge to himself and Successors Lastly whereas the Historian maketh the Archbishop of Gnesna to have been one of the first to whom the Title and Priviledge of Legatus Natus was conferred and that by Pope Paschal the contrary of it is so far true that Andreas Olzowski Archbishop of Gnesna in his Letter wrote to Dr. Sheldon Archbishop of Canterbury in the Year 1675. wherein he requests of him to send to him an account of the Priviledges of Legatio Nata belonging to the See of Canterbury beginneth to propose his requests in these words Concessum olim erat Anno 1515. Privilegium Legationis nata à Leone X. Papâ Archiepiscopis Gnesnensibus Primatibus
if neither at my humble suit nor for regard of the promise made to the Emperour your Highnesse will suffer and bear with me as ye have done till your Majesty may be a Judge herein your self and right understand their proceedings of which your goodness yet I despair not otherwise rather than to offend God and my Conscience I offer my body at your will and death shall be more welcome than life with a troubled conscience Most humbly beseeching your Majestie to pardon my slownesse in answering your Letters For my olde disease would not suffer me to write any sooner And thus I pray Allmighty God to keep your Majestie in all vertue and honour with good helth and long life to his pleasure From my poor house at Copped-Hall the XIX of August Your Majesties most humble Sister MARY VI. A Letter of King Edward the Sixth to the Lady Mary RYght dear and right entirely beloved Sister we grete you well and let you know that it greveth us much to perceave no amendment in you of that which we for Goddes cause your Soules helth our conscyence and the common tranquyllytie of our Realm have â—o long desired Assuring you that our Suffraunce hath much more demonstration of natural love than contention of our conscyence and foresight of our savety Wherefore although you give us occasion as much almost as in you is to deminishe our naturall love yet be we lothe to fele it decay and mean not to be so careles of you as we be provoked And therefore meaning your weale and therewith joyning a care not to be found in our conscyence to God having cause to require forgivenesse that we have so long for respect of love towarde you omitted our bounden dieuty we do send at this present our right trusty and right well-beloved Counsalour the Lord Riche our Chancellour of England our trusty and right well-beloved Counsailour Sir Anthony Wingfield Knight Comptroler of our Houshold and Sir William Peter Knight oon of our two Pryncipal Secretaries in message to you touching the order of your howse willing you to give them firme creditt in those things they shall say to you from us and doo therein in our name Geven under our Signet c. VII An Order of the Privy-Council for a Thanksgiving for Queen Mary's Great Belly AFter our hearty commendations unto your good Lordships Whereas it hath pleased Almighty God among other his infinite benefits of late most gratiously poured upon us and this whole Realm to extend his benediction upon the Queen's Majestie in such fort as She is conceived and quick with Child whereby her Majesty being our natural Liege Lady Queen and undoubted inheritour of this Imperial Crown good hope of certain Succession in the Crown is given unto us and consequently the great Calamities which for want of such Succession might otherwise have fallen upon us and our posterity shall by God's grace be well avoyded if we thankfully acknowledge this benefit of Almighty God endeavouring our selves with earnest repentence to thank honour and serve him There be not only to advertise you of this good news to be by you published in all places within your Diocese but also to pray and require you that both your selves do give God thanks with us for this special grace and also give order that thankes be openly given by singing Te Deum in all Churches within our Diocese and that likewise all Priestes and other Ecclesiastical Ministers in their Masses and othar divine Services may continually pray to Almighty God so to extend his holy Hand over her Majesty the King's Highnesse and the whole Realm as this thing being by his omnipotent power graciously thus begun may by the same be well continued and brought to good effect to the glory of his Name Whereunto albeit we doubt not yee would of your selves have had special regard without these our Letters yet for the earnest desire wee have to have the thing done out of hand and diligently continued we have also written these our Letters to put you in remembrance and to bid your Lordship most heartily well to fare From the Court at Westminster the 27th Day of November 1554. Your Lordships assured loving Friends S. Winton Cancell Fr. Shewsbury Tho. Eliens Tho. Wharton H. Arundell H. Sussex R. Rich Richard Southwell Ed. Darby Io. Bathon To our loving Friends the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury and all other having Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction during the Vacation of that See VIII Articuli ministrati Presbyteris conjugatis Mense Martio 1554. IMprimis an fuerit Religiosus cujus Ordinis in quo Monasterio sive domo Item ad fuit promotus ad Sacros Ordines dum erat in Monasterio Item in quo quibus sacris an ministravit in Altaris ministerio quot annis Item an citra professionem suam regularem conjunxit se mulieri sub appellatione matrimonii Item cum qua in qua Ecclesia fuit matrimonii solemnizatio per quem Item quam duxit erat resoluta an vidua Item an cohabitavit cum eâ in unâ eâdem domo ut vir cum uxore Item an prolem vel proles ex eâ suscitaverit necne Item an post citra matrimonii bujusmodi solemnizationem assequutus fuit est beneficium Ecclesiasticum habens curam animarum quot annes illud obtinuit Item an officio Sacerdotis post citra assertum matrimonium hujusmodi contractum in Altaris ministerio se immiscuit ac Sacramentis Sacramentalibus ministrandis se ingessit Item an praemissa omnia singula fuerunt sunt vera IX A Bull of Pope Iulius costituting Cardinal Pole his Legate in England IUlius Episcopus servus servorum Dei dilecto filio Reginaldo Sanctae Mariae in Cosmedin Diacono Cardinali Polo nuncupato ad charissimam in Christo filiam nostram Mariam Angliae Reginam illustrem universum Angliae Regnum nostro Apostalicae sedis Legato de latere salutem Apostolicam benedictionem Si ullo unquam tempore licuit nunc certè expositissimè licet dicere dextra Domini fecit virtutem Hanc inquam laetissimam vocem licet omnium piorum gaudiis atque acclamatione celebrare Quid enim aliud dicamus quin dextram Domini hanc tani inopinatam rerum conversionem fecisse ut florentissimum Angliae Regnum ab Henrico Octavo in dissidium ab Ecclesiâ Catholicâ secessionemque seductam ac deinde Edwardi ejus nati successione in paterno haereditario errore corroboratum firmatum in eum nunc statum repentè devenerit ut ad sanctum ovile atque ad Ecclesiae Catholicae septa revocari facillimè posse videatur Profectò hoc nihil aliud est quam mutatio dextrae Excelsi Defuncto enim vitâ supradicta Edwardo adnisisque illius sectatoribus qui rerum habenas qui arces qui exercitum qui classem obtinebant Regnum alicui ex suâ sectâ deferre exclusâ legitimâ haerede charissimâ in