two several times that is to say the Sundays next following Easterday and St. Michael the Arch-Angel or on some other Sunday within one month after those Feasts immediately after the Gospel FOrasmuch as it appertaineth to all Christian Men but especially to the Ministers and the Pastors of the Church being Teachers and Instructers of others to be ready to give a Reason of their Faith when they shall be thereunto required I for my part now appointed your Parson Vicar or Curat having before my Eyes the Fear of God and the Testimony of my Conscience do acknowledg for my self and require you to assent to the same I. First That there is but one living and true God of infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness the maker and preserver of all Things And that in Unity of this God-head there be three Persons of one Substance of equal Power and Eternity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost II. I believe also whatsoever is contained in the Holy Canonical Scriptures In the which Scriptures are contained all things necessary to Salvation by the which also all Errors and Heresies may sufficiently be reproved and convicted and all Doctrine and Articles necessary to Salvation established I do also most firmly believe and confess all the Articles contained in the Three Creeds The Nicene Creed Athanasius Creed and our Common Creed called the Apostles Creed for these do briefly contain the principal Articles of our Faith which are at large set forth in the Holy Scriptures III. I do acknowledg also that Church to be the Spouse of Christ wherein the Word of God is truly taught the Sacraments orderly ministred according to Christ's Institution and the Authority of the Keys duly used And that every such particular Church hath authority to institute to change clean to put away Ceremonies and other Ecclesiastical Rites as they be superfluous or be abused and to constitute other making more to Seemliness to Order or Edification IV. Moreover I confess That it is not lawful for any Man to take upon him any Office or Ministry either Ecclesiastical or Secular but such only as are lawfully thereunto called by their High Authorities according to the Ordinances of this Realm V. Furthermore I do acknowledg the Queen's Majesty's Prerogative and Superiority of Government of all Estates and in all Causes as well Ecclesiastical as Temporal within this Realm and other her Dominions and Countries to be agreable to God's Word and of right to appertain to her Highness in such sort as is in the late Act of Parliament expressed and sithence by her Majesty's Injunctions declared and expounded VI. Moreover touching the Bishop of Rome I do acknowledg and confess that by the Scriptures and Word of God he hath no more Authority than other Bishops have in their Provinces and Diocesses And therefore the Power which he now challengeth that is to be the Supream Head of the Universal Church of Christ and so to be above all Emperors Kings and Princes is an usurped Power contrary to the Scriptures and Word of God and contrary to the Example of the Primitive Church and therefore is for most just Causes taken away and abolished in this Realm VII Furthermore I do grant and confess That the Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Holy Sacraments set sorth by the Authority of Parliament is agreeable to the Scriptures and that it is Catholick Apostolick and most for the advancing of God's Glory and the edifying of God's People both for that it is in a Tongue that may be understanded of the People and also for the Doctrine and Form of ministration contained in the same VIII And although in the Administration of Baptism there is neither Exorcism Oil Salt Spittle or hallowing of the Water now used and for that they were of late Years abused and esteemed necessary Where they pertain not to the substance and necessity of the Sacrament they be reasonably abolished and yet the Sacrament full and perfectly ministred to all intents and purposes agreeable to the Institution of our Saviour Christ IX Moreover I do not only acknowledg that Privat Masses were never used amongst the Fathers of the Primitive Church I mean publick Ministration and receiving of the Sacrament by the Priest alone without a just number of Communicants according to Christ's saying Take ye and eat ye c. But also that the Doctrine that maintaineth the Mass to be a Propitiatory Sacrifice for the Quick and the Dead and a mean to deliver Souls out of Purgatory is neither agreeable to Christ's Ordinance nor grounded upon Doctrine Apostolick But contrary-wise most ungodly and most injurious to the precious Redemption of our Saviour Christ and his only-sufficient Sacrifice offered once for ever upon the Altar of the Cross X. I am of that mind also That the Holy Communion or Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ for the due obedience to Christ's Institution and to express the vertue of the same ought to be ministred unto the People under both kinds And that it is avouched by certain Fathers of the Church to be a plain Sacrilege to rob them of the Mystical Cup for whom Christ hath shed his most precious Blood seeing he himself hath said Drink ye all of this Considering also That in the time of the Ancient Doctors of the Church as Cyprian Hierom Augustine Gelasius and others six hundred Years after Christ and more both the Parts of the Sacrament were ministred to the People Last of all As I do utterly disallow the extolling of Images Reliques and feigned Miracles and also all kind of expressing God Invisible in the form of an Old Man or the Holy Ghost in form of a Dove and all other vain worshipping of God devised by Man's fantasy besides or contrary to the Scriptures As wandering on Pilgrimages setting up of Candles praying upon Beads and such-like Superstition which kind of Works have no promise of Reward in Scripture but contrary-wise Threatnings and Maledictions So I do exhort all Men to the Obedience of God's Law and to the Works of Faith as Charity Mercy Pity Alms devout and fervent Prayer with the affection of the Heart and not with the Mouth only Godly Abstinence and Fasting Chastity Obedience to the Rulers and Superior Powers with such-like Works and godliness of Life commanded by God in his Word which as St. Paul saith hath Promises both of this Life and of the Life to come and are Works only acceptable in God's sight These things above-rehearsed though they be appointed by common Order yet do I without all compulsion with freedom of Mind and Conscience from the bottom of my Heart and upon most sure persuasion acknowledg to be true and agreeable to God's Word And therefore I exhort you all of whom I have Cure heartily and obediently to embrace and receive the same That we all joining together in unity of Spirit Faith and Charity may also at length be joined together in the Kingdom of God and that
King Henry's time and quitted his Bishoprick on the account of the six Articles but in the end of that Reign recanted and was now Bishop Suffragan of Ely condemned them It is enough to have named all these who were burnt meerly by the Proceedings Ex Officio for being forced either to accuse themselves or to die however they chose rather plainly to answer those Articles that were ministred to them and so were condemned for their Answers Ridley and Latimer burnt at Oxford But on the 16th of October Ridley and Latimer offered up their lives at Oxford on which it may be expected I should enlarge a little The Bishops of Lincoln Glocester and Bristol were sent to Oxford by a special Commission from the Cardinal to proceed against them As soon as Ridley heard they proceeded in the name of the Pope by authority from the Cardinal he put on his Cap having stood bare headed before that because he would express no sign of Reverence to those who acted by such a Commission He said he paied great respect to the Cardinal as descended from the Royal Family and a man endued with such Learning and Vertue that therefore he honoured and reverenced him but for his Legatine Authority from the Bishop of Rome he utterly renounced it and therefore would shew no Reverence to that Character and so puting off his Cap as he spoke of him on other respects he put it on again when he named his being Legat and being required to put it off refused to do it on that account but one of the Beadles did it for him After that the Bishop of Lincoln made him a long exhortation to recant and acknowledge the See of Rome since Christ had built his Church on St. Peter and the Fathers had all acknowledged the preheminence of that See and himself had been once of that opinion To which he answered it was upon the Faith which St. Peter confessed that Christ had founded his Church he acknowledged the Bishops of Rome had been held in great esteem both for the dignity of the City and the worthiness of the Bishops that had sate in it but they were only esteemed Patriarchs of the West and the Church had not then thought of that Power to which they had since advanced themselves he confessed he was once of their mind but it was as St. Paul had been a Persecutor he had seen since such spots in the Church of Rome that he could never return to it Upon this followed much discourse In conclusion they objected to him some Articles about those Opinions which he had maintained a year and an half before that in the Schools and required him to make his answers to them He began with a Protestation that by answering them he did not acknowledg the Popes Authority and then answered them as he had done before Latimer used the like protestation and answers So they were allowed one nights respite to consider better whether they would recant or not but next day they appearing and adhering to the Answers they had made were declared obstinate Hereticks and ordered to be degraded and so delivered over to the Secular Power After that new attemps were made on Ridley to perswade him to accept of the Queens Mercy but all being to no purpose the Writ was sent down to burn them The night before the Execution Ridley was very joyful and invited the Mayor and his Wife in whose House he was kept to be at his Wedding next day at which when the Mayor's Wife wept he said he perceived she did not love him but he told her tho his breakfast would be sharp he was sure his Supper would be sweet he was glad to hear that his Sister would come and see him die and was in such composure of mind that they were all amazed at it Next morning being the 16th they were led out to the place of Execution which was before Baliol College they looked up to the Prison to have seen Cranmer but he was then engaged in Dispute with some Friars so that he was not in his Window but he looked after them with great tenderness and kneeling down prayed earnestly that God would strengthen their Faith and Patience in that their last but painful Passage When they came to the Stake they embraced one another with great affection Ridley saying to Latimer Be of good heart Brother for God will either asswage the fury of the Flame or enable us to abide it Doctor Smith was appointed to Preach and took his Text from these words If I give my body to be burnt and have no Charity it profiteth nothing He compared their dying for Heresie to Judas's hanging himself and warned the People to beware of them with as much bitterness as he could express The best of it was the Sermon lasted not above a quarter of an hour When he had done Ridley was going to answer him and the Lord Williams that was appointed by the Queen to see the Execution was enclined to hear him but the Vice-Chancellor said Except he intended to recant he was not to be suffered to speak Ridley answered He would never deny his Lord nor those Truths of his of which he was perswaded God's Will be done in him he committed himself to God who would indifferently judg all Then he addressed himself to the Lord Williams and said Nothing troubled him so much as that he had received Fines of some who took Leases of him when he was Bishop of London and these Leases were now voided He therefore humbly prayed that the Queen would give order that those might be made good to the Tenants or that the Fines might be restored out of his Goods which he had left in his House and were of far greater value than those Fines would amount to and that some pity might be had of Shipside his Brother in law who was turned out of a place he had put him in and had now attended on him with great care Then they both prayed and fitted themselves for the Stake Latimer saying to Ridley Be of good comfort we shall this day light such a Candle in England as I trust by God's Grace shall never be put out Then Gunpowder being hanged about their Bodies in great quantities to hasten their death the Fire was put to and Latimer was with the first Flame the Powder taking fire put out of pain and died immediatly But Ridley had a more lingring Torment for they threw on the fire so much wood that the Flame could not break through it so that his Legs were almost consumed before this was observed and then one opening the Passage to the Flame it put an end to his Life Thus died these two excellent Bishops the one for his Piety Learning and solid Judgment the ablest Man of all that advanced the Reformation and the other for the plain simplicity of his Life esteemed a truly primitive Bishop and Christian Of his care of his Bishoprick the Instructions he
of a Communion In these it may be easily imagined he did every thing with a very lively sorrow since as he had loved the King beyond expression so he could not but look on his Funeral as the Burial of the Reformation and in particular as a step to his own On the 12th of August The Queen declares she will force no Man's Conscience the Queen made an open declaration in Council that although her Conscience was staied in the Matters of Religion yet she was resolved not to compel or strain others otherwise than as God should put into their Hearts a persuasion of that Truth she was in and this she hoped should be done by the opening His Word to them by godly vertuous and learned Preachers Now all the deprived Bishops looked to be quickly placed in their Sees again Bonner went to St. Pauls on the 13th of August being Sunday where Bourn that was his Chaplain preached before him He spake honourably of Bonner with sharp Reflections on the Proceedings against him in the Time of King Edward This did much provoke the whole Audience who as they hated Bonner so could not hear any thing said that seemed to detract from that King A Tumult at Pauls Cross Hereupon there was a great Tumult in the Church some called to pull him down others flung Stones and one threw a Dagger towards the Pulpit with that force that it stuck fast in the timber of it Bourn by stooping saved himself from that danger and Rogers and Bradford two eminent Preachers and of great credit with the People stood up and gently quieted the heat and they to deliver Bourn out of their hands conveyed him from the Pulpit to a House near the Church This was such an Accident as the Papists would have desired for it gave them a colour to proceed more severely and to prohibit Preaching which was the first step they intended to make There was a Message sent to the Lord Mayor to give a strict charge that every Citizen should take care of all that belonged to him and see that they went to their own Parish Church and kept the Peace as also to acquaint them with what the Queen had declared in Council on the 13th of August And on the 18th there was published an Inhibition in the Queen's Name to this effect That she An Inhibition of all preaching considering the great Danger that had come to the Realm by the Differences in Religion did delare for her self that she was of that Religion that she had professed from her Infancy and that she would maintain it during her time and be glad that all her Subjects would charitably receive it Yet she did not intend to compel any of her Subjects to it till publick Order should be taken in it by common Assent requiring all in the mean while not to move Sedition or Unquietness till such Order should be setled and not to use the Names of Papist or Heretick but to live together in Love and in the Fear of God but if any made Assemblies of the People she would take care they should be severely punished and she straitly charged them that none should preach or expound Scripture or print any Books or Plays without her special License And required her Subjects that none of them should presume to punish any on pretence of the late Rebellion but as they should be authorised by her Yet she did not thereby restrain any from informing against such Offenders She would be most sorry to have cause to execute the severity of the Law but she was resolved not to suffer such Rebellious Doings to go unpunished but hoped her Subjects would not drive her to the extream execution of the Laws When this was published which was the first thing that was set out in her Name since she had come to the Crown it was much descanted on Censures pâ—st upon it The Profession she made of her Religion to be the same it had been from her Infancy shewed it was not her Father's Religion but entire Popery that she intended to restore It was also observed that whereas before she had said plainly she would compel none to be of it now that was qualified with this till publick Order should be taken in it which was till they could so frame a Parliament that it should concur with the Queen's Design The equal forbidding of Assemblies or ill Names on both sides was thought intended to be a Trap for the Reformed that they should be punished if they offended but the others were sure to be rather encouraged The restraint of preaching without License was pretended to be copied from what had been done in King Edward's Time Yet then there was a Liberty left for a long time to all to Preach in their own Churches only they might preach no where else without a License And the power of Licensing was also lodged at first with the Bishops in their several Diocesses and at last with the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury as well as with the King whereas now at one stroke all the Pulpits of England that were in the hands of the Reformed were brought under an Interdict for they were sure to obtain no Licenses But the cunningest part of these Inhibitions was the declaring that the Queen would proceed with rigour against all that were guilty of the late Rebellion if they should provoke her many about London had some way or other expressed themselves for it and these were the hottest among the Reformed So that here was a sharp threatning hanging over them if they should express any more Zeal about Religion She requites the Service of the Men of Suffolk ill When this was put out the Queen understanding that in Suffolk those of that Profession took a little more liberty than their Neighbours presuming on their great Merit and the Queen's Promises to them there was a special Letter sent to the Bishop of Norwich's Vicar himself being at Brussels to see to the execution of these Injunctions against any that should preach without License Upon this some came from Suffolk to put the Queen in mind of her Promise This was thought insolent and she returned them no other answer But that they being Members thought to rule her that was their Head but they should learn that the Members ought to obey the Head and not to think to bear Rule over it One of these had spoken of her Promise with more confidence than the rest his Name was Dobbe so he was ordered to stand three days in the Pillory as having said that which tended to the defamation of the Queen And from hence all saw what a severe Government they were to come under in which the claiming of former Promises that had been made by the Queen when she needed their Assistance was to be accounted a Crime But there was yet a more unreasonable Severity shewed to Bradford and Rogers who had appeased the Tumult the Sunday before and rescued the
We are accounted Righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our own Works or deservings Wherefore that we are justified by Faith is a most wholesome Doctrine and very full of comfort as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification in that sense wherein it is set forth in the Homily of Justification is the most certain and most wholesome Doctrine for a Christian Man XII Of Good Works Albeit the Good Works which are the Fruits of Faith and follow after Justification cannot put away our Sins and endure the severity of God's Judgment yet are they pleasing and acceptable unto God in Christ and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively Faith insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as evidently known as a Tree discerned by the Fruit. XII Works before Justification Works done before the Grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God forasmuch as they spring not of Faith in Jesus Christ neither do they make Men meet to receive Grace or as the School Authors say deserve Grace of Congruity yea rather for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the nature of Sin XIII Works of Supererrogation Voluntary Works besides over and above God's Commandments which they call Works of Supererrogation cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety for by them Men do declare that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do but that they do more for his sake than of bounden Duty is required Whereas Christ saith plainly When you have done all that are commanded to you say we are unprofitable Servants XIV None but Christ without Sin Christ in the truth of our Nature was made like unto us in all things sin only excepted from which he was clearly void both in his Flesh and in his Spirit He came to be a Lamb without spot who by Sacrifice of himself once made should take away the Sins of the World and Sin as St. John saith was not in him But all we the rest although baptized and born in Christ yet offend in many things and if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us XV. Of the Sin against the Holy Ghost Not every deadly Sin willingly committed after Baptism is Sin against the Holy Ghost and unpardonable Wherefore the grant of Repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after Baptism After we have received the Holy Ghost we may depart from Grace given and fall into sin and by the Grace of God we may arise again and amend our Lives And therefore they are to be condemned which say They can no more sin as long as they live here or deny the * Place of Forgiveness place of Penance to such as truly repent XVI The Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost The Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is then committed when any Man out of malice and hardness of heart doth wilfully reproach and persecute in an hostile manner the Truth of God's Word manifestly made known unto him Which sort of Men being made obnoxious to the Curse subject themselves to the most grievous of all wickednesses from whence this kind of Sin is called unpardonable and so affirmed to be by our Lord and Saviour XVII Of Predestination and Election Predestination unto Life is the everlasting Purpose of God whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret unto us to deliver from Curse and Damnation those whom he hath chosen * In Christ out of Man-kind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting Salvation as Vessels made to Honour Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to God's Purpose by his Spirit working in due season they through Grace obey the Calling they be justified freely they are made Sons of †God by Adoption they are made like the Image of ‖ His. the only begotten Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good Works and at length by God's Mercy they attain to everlasting felicity As the godly consideration of Predestination and Election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to godly Persons and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the Works of the Flesh and their Earthly Members and drawing up their mind to high and heavenly Things as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their Faith of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed through Christ as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God So for curious and carnal Persons lacking the Spirit of Christ to have continually before their eyes the sentence of God's Predestination is a most dangerous downfal whereby the Devil doth thrust them either into desparation or into wretchlesness of most unclean living no less perilous than desparation Furthermore * Left out though the Decrees of Predestination be unknown to us yet must we receive God's Promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in Holy Scripture and in our doings that Will of God is to be followed which we have expresly declared unto us in the Word of God XVIII Everlasting Salvation to be obtained only in the Name of Christ They also are to be had accursed that presume to say That every Man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth so that he be diligent to frame his Life according to that Law and the Light of Nature For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the Name of Jesus Christ whereby Men must be saved XIX All Men are bound to keep the Precepts of the Moral Law Although the Law given from God by Moses as touching Ceremonies and Rites do not bind Christian Men nor the Civil Precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any Common-Wealth yet notwithstanding no Christian Man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral Wherefore they are not to be heard which teach that the Holy Scriptures were given to none but to the Weak and brag continually of the Spirit by which they do pretend that all whatsoever they preach is suggested to them though manifestly contrary to the Holy Scripture XX. Of the Church The Visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful Men in which the pure Word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duly ministred according to Christ's Ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same As the Church of Jerusalem Alexandria and Antioch have erred so also the Church of Rome hath erred not only in their Livings and manner of Ceremonies but also in Matters of Faith XXI Of the Authority of the Church The Church hath power to decree Rites and Ceremonies and Authority
now be and remain to us in our Actual and Royal Possession by Authority of the said Letters Patents We do therefore by these Presents signify unto all our most loving faithful and obedient Subjects That like-as we for our part shall by God's Grace shew our Self a most gracious and benign Soveraign Queen and Lady to all our good Subjects in all their just and lawful Suits and Causes and to the uttermost of our Power shall preserve and maintain God's most Holy Word Christian Policy and the good Laws Customs and Liberties of these our Realms and Dominions so we mistrust not but they and every of them will again for their parts at all Times and in all Cases shew themselves unto Us their natural Liege Queen and Lady most faithful loving and obedient Subjects according to their bounden Duties and Allegiance whereby they shall please God and do the things that shall tend to their own preservation and sureties willing and commanding all Men of all Estates Degrees and Conditions to see our Peace and accord kept and to be obedient to our Laws as they tender our Favour and will answer for the contrary at their extream Perils In witness whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made Patents Witness our Self at our Tower of London the tenth day of July in the first Year of our Reign God save the Queen Number 2. A Letter sent by Queen Katherine to the Lady Mary her Daughter Ex MS. Norfolcianis in Col. Cresham DAughter I heard such tidings this day that I do perceive if it be true the time is near that Almighty God will provide for you and I am very glad of it for I trust that he doth handle you with a good Love I beseech you agree to his Pleasure with a merry Heart and be you sure that without fail he will not suffer you to perish if you beware to offend him I pray God you good Daughter to offer your self to him if any pangs come to you shrive your self first make your self clean take heed of his Commandments and keep them as near as he will give you Grace to do for then are you sure armed And if this Lady do come to you as it is spoken if she do bring you a Letter from the King I am sure in the self-same Letter you shall be commanded what you shall do Answer you with few words obeying the King your Father in every thing save only that you will not offend God and lose your Soul and go no further with Learning and Disputation in the Matter and wheresoever and in whatsoever Company you shall come obey the King's Commandments speak few words and meddle nothing I will send you two Books in Latin one shall be de Vita Christi with the Declaration of the Gospels and the other the Epistles of St. Hierome that he did write always to Paula and Eustochium and in them trust you shall see good things And sometimes for your Recreation use your Virginals or Lute if you have any But one thing specially I desire you for the love that you owe unto God and unto me to keep your Heart with a chaste Mind and your Body from all ill and wanton Company not thinking nor desiring any Husband for Christ's Passion neither determine your self to any manner of living until this troublesome time be past for I dare make you sure that you shall see a very good end and better than you can desire I would God good Daughter that you did know with how good a Heart I do write this Letter unto you I never did one with a better for I perceive very well that God loveth you I beseech him of his goodness to continue it And if it shall fortune that you shall have no Body to be with you of your Acquaintance I think it best you keep your Keys your self for whosoever it is so shall be done as shall please them And now you shall begin and by likelihood I shall follow I set not a rush by it for when they have done the uttermost they can then I am sure of the amendment I pray you recommend me unto my good Lady of Salisbury and pray her to have a good Heart for we never come to the Kingdom of Heaven but by Troubles Daughter wheresoever you become take no pain to send to me for if I may I will send to you By your loving Mother Katherine the Queen Number 3. A humble Submission made by Queen Mary to her Father Anno 1536. An Original MOst humbly prostrate before the Feet of your most excellent Majesty your most humble faithful and obedient Subject Cotton Libr. Otho C. 20. which hath so extreamly offended your most gracious Highness that mine heavy and fearful Heart dare not presume to call you Father nor your Majesty hath any cause by my deserts saving the benignity of your most blessed Nature doth surmount all Evils Offences and Trespasses and is ever merciful and ready to accept the Penitent calling for Grace in any convenient time Having received this Thursday at Night certain Letters from Mr. Secretary as well advising me to make my humble submission immediately to your Self which because I durst not without your gracious License presume to do before I lately sent unto him as signifying that your most merciful Heart and fatherly Pity had granted me your Blessing with condition that I should persevere in that I had commenced and begun and that I should not eft-soons offend your Majesty by the denial or refusal of any such Articles and Commandments as it may please your Highness to address unto me for the perfect trial of my Heart and inward Affection For the perfect declaration of the bottom of my Heart and Stomach First I acknowledg my self to have most unkindly and unnaturally offended your most excellent Highness in that I have not submitted my self to your most just and vertuous Laws And for mine Offences therein which I must confess were in me a thousand fold more grievous than they could be in any other living Creature I put my self wholly and entirely to your gracious Mercy at whose hand I cannot receive that punishment for the same that I have deserved Secondly To open mine Heart to your Grace in these things which I have heretofore refused to condescend unto and have now written with mine own hand sending the same to your Highness herewith I shall never beseech your Grace to have pity and compassion of me if ever you shall perceive that I shall privily or apertly vary or alter from one piece of that I have written and subscribed or refuse to confirm ratify or declare the same where your Majesty shall appoint me Thirdly As I have and shall knowing your excellent Learning Vertue Wisdom and Knowledg put my Soul into your direction and by the same hath and will in all things from henceforth direct my Conscience so my Body I do wholly commit to your Mercy and fatherly Pity
the Writings of the Disciples and of the Prophets are read as much as may be Afterwards when the Reader doth cease the Head-Minister maketh an Exhortation exhorting them to follow so honest things After this we rise all together and offer Prayers which being ended as we have said Bread Wine and Water are brought forth then the Head-Minister offereth Prayers and Thanksgivings as much as he can and the People answereth Amen These words of Justin who lived about 160 Years after Christ considered with their Circumstances declare plainly That not only the Scriptures were read but also that the Prayers and Administration of the Lord's Supper were done in a Tongue understood Both the Liturgies of Basil and Chrysostom declare That in the Celebration of the Communion the People were appointed to answer to the Prayer of the Minister sometimes Amen sometimes Lord have mercy upon us sometimes And with thy Spirit and We have our Hearts lifted up unto the Lord c. Which Answers they would not have made in due time if the Prayers had not been made in a Tongue understood And for further proof Basil Epist 63. let us hear what Basil writeth in this Matter to the Clerks of Neocesarea Caeterum ad Objectum in Psalmodiis crimen quo maximè simpliciores terrent Calumniatores c. As touching that is laid to our charge in Psalmodies and Songs wherewith our Slanderers do fray the Simple I have this to say That our Customs and Usage in all Churches be uniform and agreeable For in the Night the People with us riseth goeth to the House of Prayer and in Travel Tribulation and continual Tears they confess themselves to God and at the last rising again go to their Songs or Psalmodies where being divided into two parts sing by course together both deeply weighing and confirming the Matter of the Heavenly Saying and also stirring up their Attention and Devotion of Heart which by other means be alienated and pluck'd away Then appointing one to begin the Song the rest follow and so with divers Songs and Prayers passing over the Night at the dawning of the Day all together even as it were with one Mouth and one Heart they sing unto the Lord a new Song of Confession every Man framing to himself meet words of Repentance If ye will flee us from henceforth for these things ye must flee also the Egyptians and both the Lybians ye must eschew the Thebians Palestines Arabians the Phenices the Syrians and those which dwell besides Euphrates And to be short all those with whom Watchings Prayers and common singing of Psalms are had in honour These are sufficient to prove that it is against God's Word and the Use of the Primitive Church to use a Language not understood of the People in Common Prayer and Ministration of the Sacraments Wherefore it is to be marvelled at not only how such an Untruth and Abuse crept at the first into the Church but also how it is maintained so stifly at this Day And upon what ground these that will be thought Guides and Pastors of Christ's Church are so loath to return to the first Original of St. Paul's Doctrine and the Practice of the Primitive Catholick Church of Christ J. Scory D. Whithead J. Juel J. Almer R. Cox E. Grindal R. Horn. E. Gest. The God of Patience and Consolation give us Grace to be like minded one towards another in Christ Jesus that we all agreeing together may with one mouth praise God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen Number 4. The Answer of Dr. Cole to the first Proposition of the Protestants at the Disputation before the Lords at Westminster Est contra Verbum Dei consuetudinem veteris Ecclesioe Linguâ Populo ignotâ uti in publicis precibus Administratione Sacramentorum Most Honourable Ex MS. Col. Cor. C. Cant. VVHereas these Men here present have declared openly That it is repugnant and contrary to the Word of God to have the Common Prayers and Ministration of the Sacraments in the Latin Tongue here in England and that all such Common Prayer and Ministration ought to be and remain in the English Tongue Ye shall understand that to prove this their Assertion they have brought in as yet only one place of Scripture taken out of St. Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians Cap. 14. with certain other places of the Holy Doctors whereunto answer is not now to be made But when the Book which they read shall be delivered unto us according to the appointment made in that behalf then God willing we shall make answer as well to the Scripture as other Testimonies alledged by them so as all good Men may evidently perceive and understand the same Scripture to be misconstrued and drawn from the native and true sense And that it is not St. Paul's mind there to treat of Common Prayer or Ministration of any Sacraments And therefore we now have only to declare and open before you briefly which after as opportunity serves in our Answer shall appear more at large causes which move us to persist and continue in the order received and to say and affirm that to have the Common Prayer or Service with the Ministration of the Sacraments in the Latin Tongue is convenient and as the state of the Cause standeth at this present necessary Second Section 1. And this we affirm first because there is no Scripture manifest against this our Assertion and Usage of the Church And though there were any yet it is not to be condemn'd that the Church hath receiv'd Which thing may evidently appear in many things that were sometime expresly commanded by God and his Holy Apostles 2. As for Example to make the Matter plain ye see the express Command of Almighty God touching the observation of the Sabbath-Day to be changed by Authority of the Church without any Word of God written for the same into the Sunday The Reason whereof appeareth not to all Men and howsoever it doth appear and is accepted of all good Men without any Controversy of Scripture yea without any mention of the Day saving only that St. John in his Apocalyps nameth it Diem Dominicam In the change whereof all Men may evidently understand the Authority of the Church both in this cause and also in other Matters to be of great weight and importance and therein esteemed accordingly 3. Another Example we have given unto us by the Mouth of our Saviour himself who washing the feet of his Disciples said I have herein given you an Example that as I have done even so do you Notwithstanding these express words the Holy Church hath left the thing undone without blame not of any Negligence but of great and urgent Causes which appeareth not to many Men and yet universally without the breach of God's Commandment as is said left undone Was not the Fact also and as it seemeth the express Commandment of Christ our Saviour changed and altered by the Authority
Scribat nostri presenti cum omnibus officia praedicta tangentia eorumque deputatis per Comissarios nostros approbandis conjunctim divisim damus deputamus assignamus decernimus per presentes In cujus rei testimonium has Literas nostras fieri fecimus Patentes Teste meipsa apud Westmonast 24 die Junii Anno Regni nostri primo Number 8. Ten Letters written to and by Dr. Parker concerning his Promotion to the See of Canterbury An Original AFter my right-hearty Commendations Ex M. SS Reverendis D. D. Gul. Arch. Cant. these are to signify unto you That for certain Matters touching your self which I trust shall turn you to good I would wish that you should repair hither to London with as convenient speed as you can where you shall find me at Burgeny House in Pater Noster Row if it be not over-long e're you come And if it chance that I be returned into Suffolk before your coming then I would you should make your repair unto my Brother-in-Law Sir William Cecil the Queen's Secretary declaring unto him that I appointed you to wait upon him to know his pleasure touching such Matters as he and I did talk of concerning you Thus wishing you well to do I bid you heartily farewel Written the 9th of December 1558. By Yours assuredly N. Bacon Dr. Parker's Answer to the former Letter A Copy RIght Worshipful with my thankful Duty of Commendations hearing of your sickness still to occupy you I was right-heartily sorry that I molested you with so long a Letter into which fault for that I will not fall again at this present I shall use the fewer words Sir If I may know at what time I might in your return down wait on your Worship at Burgeny or at New-market I will by God's Grace so appoint my self to be there first the rather for that I would not give occasion to have your Journey either protracted or yet diverted out of the right Line thereof In the mean time I shall beseech God to restore your strength that ye may the sooner be restored to the Common-Wealth which in this apparent necessity of worthy Persons I fear feeleth God's Hand in this his Visitation to be burdenous I would wish ye were not much stirring abroad in the distemperance of the Air so contrarious to the state of Mens Bodies once pierced with this insolent Quartane as Experience sheweth I think the Spring-time as in natural respects must be expected though Almighty God be bound to no time Thus I heartily commend you to his gracious protection this 20th of December Your most bounden assuredly to command M. P. A Letter written to him by Secretary Cecil An Original AFter my hearty Commendations The Queen's Highness minding presently to use your Service in certain Matters of Importance hath willed me so to signify unto you to the end you should forthwith upon the sight hereof put your self in order to make your undelaied repair hither unto London at which your coming up I shall declare unto you her Majesty's further Pleasure and the occasion why you are sent for and hereof praying you therefore in no wise to fail I bid you well to fare From Westminster the 30th of December 1558. Your Loving Friend W. Cecil Another Letter of the Lord Keepers to him An Original AFter hearty Commendations these are to signify unto you That ye may assure your self that you shall have any thing that I can do for you touching the request of your Letters or any other Matter being in my Power I do think that ye have received e're this a Letter from Mr. Secretary willing you to come up immediately if your Health will suffer for certain weighty Matters touching the Queen's Service so as I trust by your presence all things to your own contentation shall come the better to pass If this Letter be not come to your Hands and therewith you be not able to come it shall be behoveful for you to signify so much because I have been willed also to haste your coming up Thus right-heartily fare ye well Written the 4th of January 1558. By Yours assuredly N. Bacon Dr. Parker's Answer A Copy Right Worshipful AFter my Duty of Commendations Where of late I received your Letters to this effect That I should repair up unto you at London upon occasion as ye wrote which may turn me to good so judged by a late Conference with the Right Worshipful Sir VVilliam Cecil Secretary to the Queen's Majesty of long time my special good Friend and Master ye shall understand that my Quartane hath so much distempered the state of my Health that without apparent danger I cannot as yet commit my self to the adventure of the Air as by divers essays I have attempted of late to my greater pain and further hinderance whereupon if your opportunity might so serve I would most heartily pray your Worship to signify so much And further yet in confidence of your old good Heart to me I would be a Suiter to you as I was once to Sir John Cheek my entire good Friend and Patron to the said Sir William Cecil that where he was desirous by his mediation to do me good as here you use to call it even as I was then framed in mind so am I at this day I would be inwardly heavy and sorry that his favourable Affection should procure me any thing above the reach of mine Ability whereby I should both dishonest my self and disappoint the expectation of such as may think that in me which I know is not but specially I might clog and cumber by Conscience to Godward before whom I look every day to appear to make mine Answer which I think and as I trust is not far off Notwithstanding though I would most fain wear out the rest of my Life in private state yet concerning that very small Talent credited unto me I would not so unthankfully to God ensue my quiet that I could not be content to bestow it so it were there whether my Heart and Conscience afore this time and daily yet doth incline me I mean to be no further abled but by the Revenue of some Prebend without charge of Cure or of Government to occupy my self to dispense God's Word amongst the simple strayed Sheep of God's Fold in poor destitute Parishes and Cures more meet for my decayed Voice and small Quality than in Theatrical and great Audience which walk and wish I would to be near their Quarters where we both were born by occasion whereof I might have opportunity to wait other-while on you at Redgrave whether I have vowed my first Journey immediately upon my strength recovered by the occasion of your friendly Request of your Letters ye sent me And if I might be yet bolder with you as I was with the said Sir John Cheek to disclose my desire of all Places in England I would wish to bestow most my time in the University the State whereof is miserable at this
present as I have had intelligence from time to time thereof And if iâ— any respect I could do Service as a weak Member of the Common-Wealth I think I might do it with them having long Acquaintance and some Experience in the Doings thereof which Judgment had the said Sir John Cheek towards me And therefore to set me on work had once by the favour of the said Mr. Secretary procured to have me named to the Mastership of Trinity College which yet chanced not to that effect God otherwise determining the Matter in his Providence But to tell you my Heart I had rather have such a thing as Bennet-College is in Cambridg a Living of twenty Nobles by the Year at the most than to dwell in the Deanry of Lincoln which is 200 at the least Now Sir ye may see herein yet my Ambition in writing thus much but I shall pray you to accept the Circumstances which ye may better insinuate to Mr. Secretary than I dare be bold by my rude Letters to molest his favourable goodness or yet prescribe to your or his Worship Wisdom and Prudence In conclusion at the Reverence of God I pray you either help that I be quite forgotten or else so appointed that I be not entangled now of new with the concourse of the World in any respect of publick state of living whereby I shall have an unfeigned signification of your very good Will to me indeed and be bound to pray for you during my Life Some of your Scholars at Cambridg enjoying the benefit of your liberal Exhibition have sent your Worship now their Letters some be sick and absent Thus reprising the quiet of my Mind and having good hope in your friendliness to the considerations aforesaid I wish you a full recovery of your Health and a continuance in God's Grace and Favour with all your Family Your Beadsman to command M. P. A long Letter of Dr. Parker's excusing himself from the Offer of the Arch-Bishoprick of Canterbury An Original RIght Honourable my Duty presupposed It is an old said Proverb Vbi quis dolet ibidem manum frequenter habet beseeching you for God's sake the rather to bear the importunity of this my hand-writing supposing that this may be one of the last Solicitations that I shall molest you with Sir Your signification uttered to me at my first coming to you at London concerning a certain Office ye named to me did hold me in such carefulness all my time of being there with the recurring of a dull Distemperance set in my Head by the Dregs of my Quartane and as yet not remedied whereby I had no disposition to my Book beside some other displeasant Cogiâ—â—tions concerning the state of this Time made me have so little joy of my being at London as I had never less in my Life most glad when my Back was turned thereunto But to come near to my intent of writing I shall pray to God yea bestow that Office well ye shall needcare the less for the residue God grant it chanceth neither on an arrogant Man neither on a faint-hearted Man nor on a covetous Man The first shall both sit in his own light and shall discourage his Fellows to join with him in Unity of Doctrine which must be their whole strength for if any heart-burning be betwixt them if private Quarrels stirred abroad be brought home and so shall shiver them asunder it may chance to have that success which I fear in the conclusion will follow The second Man should be too weak to commune with the Adversaries who would be the stouter upon his pusillanimity The third Man not worth his Bread profitable for no Estate in any Christian Common-Wealth to serve it rightly For my part I pray God I never fall into his Indignation and Wisdom it were not for a Subject to deserve his Prince's Displeasure and sorry would I be to discontent Mr. Secretary and you for whose worshipful Favours I count my self more bound to pray to God and to wish well to them for all the Men in the Realm beside I speak it sincerely without flattery for though I have little wit yet I can discern betwixt Men who delight to be flattered and who not though I would not consider how dishonest it were for me to use it But Sir except ye both moderate and restrain your over-much good Will in the former respect to me-ward I fear in the end I shall dislike you both and that your Benevolencies should by occasion of my obstinate untowardness jeopard me into Prison yet there shall I bear you my good Heart which I had rather suffer in a quiet Conscience than to be intruded into such Room and Vocation wherein I should not be able to answer the Charge to God nor to the World wherein I should not serve the Queen's Honour which I wish most heartily advanced in all her wise and godly Proceedings nor yet should I live to the Honour of the Realm and so finally should but work a further displeasant contemplation to my good Friends who preferred me This this is the Thing that makes me afraid my Lord though I passed not on mine own shame and rebuke and therefore by God's Favour and your good Helps I never intend to be of that Order better or worse higher nor lower Non omnia possumus omnes tutissimum est ut quisque hanc artem exerceat in qua educatus ad quam natura homines formaâ—â—â— And as for other Furnishments I am too far behind When I came first up to London I had thirty pounds in my Purse not ten shillings more whereof I havâ— wasted a good part and if I were placed as some of my Friends wish to me what would that do to begin or to furnish my Houshold And I hear how the Citizens of Norwich pray for the Soul of their last Bishop for when upon his departure they seized his Goods to answer his Debts to them streight-way came the Queen's Officers and discharged them all which yet were not able for all his spare Hospitality to pay half that he owed Furthermore to come to another Consideration of a further Imperfection which I would have dissembled to you and others but it cannot be but I must open it to you my assured good Master and Friend in secrecy whose old good Will maketh me the less abashed to be so homely with you at this time In one of my Letters I made a little signification of it but peradventure ye did not mark it Sir I am so in Body hurt and decayed coram Deo non mentior that whatsoever my Ability were either of worldly Furniture or inward Quality and though my Heart would right-feign serve my Soveraign Lady the Queen's Majesty in more respects than of my Allegiance not forgetting what words her Grace's Mother said to me of her not six days before her apprehension yet this my painful Infirmity will not suffer it in all manner of Services Flying in a