the University at that Time and of the great Sway the Arch-bishop then carried in the Publick and the marvellous Good-will he was esteemed to bear towards Learning I have therefore placed in the Appendix tho printed before This Favour of having their Privileges confirmed sued for in the forementioned Letter the University then got partly by the Means of their cordial Patron the Arch-bishop and partly by the Intercession and Friendship of Queen Katherine Par a great Favourer of Learning and pure Religion of Wriothesly Lord Chancellor the Earl of Warwick the Marquess of Northampton the Earl of Arundel and Sir William Paget to all whom at that time they addressed their Letters whether it were out of fear of the difficulty of getting the thing done or to take this Opportunity to obtain the Countenance of the great Men of the Court. Some time after upon another Occasion the Heads of the University made another Application to their Patron the Arch-bishop which was to befriend them at Court against the Townsmen their old Enemies who were now wresting from them one of their Ancient undoubted Privileges namely the use of the Prisons of the Toll-booth and Castle The Occasion was this In the time of Sturbridg-Fair the Proctors upon great Complaints made to them going their Rounds one Night had taken certain evil Persons in Houses of Sin and had brought them to the Toll-booth in order to the commitment of them there But having sent to the Mayor for the Keys he absolutely refused to part with them So they were fain to carry their Prisoners to the Castle where they left them in Custody But the Mayor's Son after an Hour or two let them all out to return if they pleased to their former Lewdness to the Breach of Law and Affront of the Magistrate Upon this the University sent their Letters to the Arch-bishop making certain of their grave Members the Bearers to relate the Matter more fully earnestly requiring that such Insolence might be punished and that the King and his Council would make such Men feel what it was to violate Laws and to cherish Impunity and to break their Oaths which they had taken to maintain the University-Privileges They urged to him how serviceable and ready their University had been to him in his pious Labours and Counsels in establishing the true Doctrine in the Church and what fit and worthy Men they had sent him for his Assistance in that good Work In like manner they required and expected of him that their Dignity might be maintained and preserved by his Aid and Authority That the University was then but in a low Condition and that Abroad it scarcely retained the Shadow of its former Glory But if at Home and within it Self the Bonds and Sinews of its Safety should thus be cut as not to have a Power to restrain Vice by Imprisonment what could the Kingdom Religion and the King's Majesty hope for any more from that University They inculcated how Learning and the true Religion rise and fall together and that if it went otherwise than well with the one the other would feel the Smart of it And truly say they no remarkable Dammage can light upon the Studies of Learning which by the same Motion draws not along with it the true Religion into the same Catastrophe And these Considerations they made use of to excite his Grace to assist them in vindicating their Privileges and in having that gross Infringement of them punished Upon the same Occasion they wrote their Letters also to Sir William Paget a great Friend of theirs and eminent Patron of good Learning What the Issue of these Applications was I find not but may conclude they received a Success proportionable to the good Will and Authority of those to whom they were made And as the whole Body of the University knew what Favour our Prelate bore to it so every single ingenious Member confided in him and applied to him in their Needs Roger Ascham the University Orator whom I had occasion to mention before was a Man of a weak Constitution and had contracted more frailty by reason of a long Ague that then hung about him and his Complexion became Melancholy by the Relicts of that stubborn Distemper He had also in his Nature a great averseness to the Fish-diet Upon these Reasons he address'd his Letters to the ABp with an humble Suit very handsomly penned that he might be dispensed with as to abstinence from Flesh-meats Lent and Fish-days being then strictly observed in the Colleges And this Licence he desired might be not only Temporary but perpetual as long as he lived which was somewhat extraordinary But to encline the Arch-bishop to yield to his Suit he told him That it was not to pamper his Flesh nor out of an affectation of doing that which was unusual or against common Custom but only for the preserving his Health and that he might the more freely pursue his Studies He added That the Air of Cambridg was naturally Cold and Moist and so the Fish-diet the more unwholsome He desired therefore That by his Authority he might no longer be tied by that Tradition which forbad the Use of certain Meats at certain Times He said That those who granted this Liberty to none but such as laboured under a desperate Disease did like them who never repaired their Houses but when they were just ready to fall down by Age. Thrifty House-keepers did otherwise So did skilful Physicians who did not use to prescribe their Physick when it was too late but always put a stop to Beginnings That they who never would impart the using of this Liberty of eating Flesh to any but when all Health was despaired of knew not what good a prudent Foresight did in all Common-wealths and did too insolently abuse a good Thing bestowed upon us by God when little or no use at all could be made of it Nay that such a Good was no Good at all being External but in that respect only as there might some use be made of it That we ought not therefore unprofitably to abuse Food to Diseases that are desperate but to accommodate it to the preservation of Health And so did S. Paul command Therefore I exhort you to take some Food for this is for your Health Then he subjoins a Passage of Herodotus in his Euterpe concerning the Egyptian Priests from whom issued originally all kinds of Learning and Arts and who were always conversant in Learned Studies These saith that Author religiously tied themselves ever to abstain from all eating of Flesh. No doubt for this only Cause saith Ascham Nè ignea vis ingenii atque praestantia ullo frigido succo quem esus piscium ingeneraret extingueretur That the Wits of Men that have a noble fiery Quality in them might not be quenched by some cold Juice which the eating of Fish might ingender And that it was somewhat unjust he adds that when so many kinds
Part and Opinion to be on his Part. For being now after some absence returned to Cambridg divers of the University and some of those Doctors that before had given in their Judgments to the King for the Validity of the Pope's Dispensation repaired to him to know his Opinion And after long Reasoning he changed the Minds of Five of the Six Then almost in every Disputation both in Private Houses and in the Common Schools this was one Question Whether the Pope might dispense with the Brother to marry the Brother's Wife after Carnal Knowledg And it was of many openly defended that he might not The Secretary when he came Home acquainted the King with what they had done and how Dr. Cranmer had changed the Minds of Five of the said Learned Men of Cambridg and of many others beside Afterward this University as well as the other determined the King's Cause against the Pope's Dispensation From an Academic our Doctor being now become a Courtier he so prudently demeaned himself that he was not only dear to the Earl of Wiltshire's Family but grew much favoured by the Nobility in general as the Lord Herbert collects from the Historians of those Times and especially by the King himself He was very much about him the King holding frequent Communication with him and seemed unwilling to have him absent Which may appear from hence that when Cranmer was minded for some reason to resort to the Earl of Wiltshire who was then from Hampton-Court and as it seems at London upon some Occasions of his own he doubted whether the King would let him go And so he writ to him that he would come the next Day to him If the King's Grace let him not CHAP. II. Pole's Book about the King's Matrimony ABout this time a Book of Reginald Pole afterwards Cardinal earnestly perswading the King to continue his Marriage with his Queen fell into Dr. Cranmer's Hands I do not find mention of this Book in any Historian that hath come to my Hands No not in his Life published by Bacatellus Bishop of Ragusa though he hath there given us a Catalogue of his Books But in likelihood the Reason was because this was some private Discourse or Letter chiefly intended for the King 's own Use as appears from some words of Cranmer concerning it Viz. That it was writ with that Eloquence that if it were set forth and known to the common People an evidence it was a more private Writing it were not possible to perswade them to the contrary It was penned about the Year 1530 as may be collected from another Passage in the said Writing wherein he mentioneth the King's living in Wedlock with Queen Katherine twenty Years the expiration of which fell in about that Time What induced Pole to write on this Subject is to me uncertain for he avoided as much as could be to meddle in this Affair out of Fear of the King's Displeasure which was the Reason of his departing Abroad Probably it was at the King's Command like as some Years after he commanded him to write his Judgment of the Title of Supream Head which he had lately assumed Which occasioned Pole's four Books of Ecclesiastical Vnity For some about the King had told him it would have a great Influence upon the People especially the Nobility if he could bring Pole over to allow and approve of his Marriage Who was a Person tho then but Young yet highly valued in the Nation for his Piety and Learning and great Descent The Book was soon delivered whether by the Earl of Wiltshire or the King himself unto the Examination and Consideration of Cranmer now the great Court-Divine Who after he had greedily perused it sent the Contents of it in a Letter to his Friend and Patron the Earl being then absent from Court The Book though the Argument of it chiefly depended upon Divinity proceeded more on Political Principles than Divine Take the following account of it as Cranmer gave it in his said Letter First Pole treated of the Danger of Diversity of Titles to the Crown Which might follow if the present Marriage with Queen Katherine were rejected in which there was an Heir and another consummated As appeared by the Titles and Pretensions of the two Houses of Lancaster and York And that the King ought to provide against the Miseries that might be brought upon his Realm by the People if he should reject his Daughter whom they took for his Lawful Heir and should perswade them to take another Then he urged the Danger of incurring the Emperor's Displeasure the Queen being his Aunt and the Princess his Cousin Then he proceeded to consider the Reasons that moved the King to his present Resolutions Namely That God's Law forbad marrying the Brother's Wife And that the People however averse at first besides that it belongâ—d not to them to judg of such Matters would be content in the King's Doings when they should know how the ancient Doctors of the Church and so many great Universities were on the King's Side And that however the Emperor might fall out with the King for this Matter yet God would never fail those that stood on his part and refused to transgress his Commandments and that England might depend on the French King's Aid by virtue of the League which he had entred into with the King and the old Grudg which he bore towards the Emperor Afterwards Pole goes on to review these Reasons And first his Judgment was that Scripture might be brought to justify this Marriage and that there was as good ground of Scripture for that as for the part which the King then took namely the unlawfulness of it That if indeed he thought the King's Part was just and that his Marriage were undoubtedly against God's Pleasure then he could not deny but that it should be well done for the King to refuse it and take another Wife Yet he confessed that for his own part he could not find in his Heart to have any Hand or be any furtherer or abetter in it Acknowledging however that he had no good Reason for it but only out of Affection and Duty to the King's Person Because he would not disannul the Princess his Daughter's Title nor accuse the most part of the King's Life as the Books written on the King's part did As though he had lived in a Matrimony Shameful Abominable Bestial and against Nature This seemed an high Complement of Pole's indeed that he would rather chuse to let the King live and die in an habitual Breach of God's Law than be guilty of something that might argue a want of civil Affection and Duty in him And as concerning the People his Judgment was That neither by Learning nor Preaching would they ever be brought into an ill Conceit of the King 's former Marriage and to think so dishonourably of their King as to live so many Years in Matrimony so abominable But as they had
one of the great Incendiaries was censured at Windsor For he and one Symons a Lawyer and Ockham that laid Traps for others were catch'd at length themselves They were Men that busied themselves in framing Indictments upon the six Articles against great Numbers of those that favoured or professed the Gospel and in sending them to Court to Winchester who was to prefer the Complaints to the Council The King being more and more informed of their base Conspiracies and disliking their bloody Dispositions commanded the Council should search into the Matters And so London and his Fellows being examined before the said Council were in the end found to be perjured in denying upon their Oaths what they had indeed done and was proved manifestly to their Faces Hereupon they were adjudged perjured Persons and appointed to ride through Windsor Reading and Newbery where they had done most Mischief with their Faces towards the Horse-Tail and a Paper upon their Heads declaring their Crime and to stand upon the Pillory in each of those Towns And that Punishment they underwent and then were sent to the Fleet. London not long after died there probably out of Shame and Sorrow This was the End of one of these Conspirators German Gardiner was a Year after hanged drawn and quartered as a Traitor for denying the King's Supremacy And the Bishop of Winchester after this never had Favour or Regard of the King more And Heywood another of the Crew of the Informers and Witnesses was condemned for Treason with Gardiner but making a Recantation his Life was spared CHAP. XXVIII The Arch-bishop falls into more Troubles AFter this the Arch-bishop received two terrible Shocks more if I am right in the placing them as I think I am though I leave Fox to follow Morice the Arch-bishop's Secretary in his Manuscript Declaration of the said Arch-bishop The former was a Complaint that was made openly against him in Parliament and the latter when the Lords of the Privy-Council accused him unto the King and required that he should be sent to the Tower Sir Iohn Gostwick a Knight for Bedforshire a Man of great Service in his Time but Papistical stood up in the House and laid to his Charge his Sermons and Lectures both at Sandwich and Canterbury containing as he said manifest Heresy against the Sacrament of the Altar Though it was much they should accuse him in that Point seeing he then held a Corporal Presence but it displeased them that it was after the Lutheran way rather than after theirs of Transubstantiation But the King perceived easily this proceeded of Malice for that he was a Stranger in Kent and had neither heard the Arch-bishop preach nor read there Knowing thereby that he was set on and made an Instrument to serve other Mens Purposes the King marvellously stormed at the Matter calling Gostwick openly Varlet and said That he had plaid a villanous part to abuse in open Parliament the Primate of the Realm especially being in Favour with his Prince as he was What will they do with him said he if I were gone Whereupon the King sent word unto Gostwick by one of his Privy-Chamber after this sort Tell the Varlet Gostwick That if he do not acknowledg his Fault unto my Lord of Canterbury and so reconcile himself towards him that he may become his good Lord I will soon both make him a poor Gostwick and otherwise punish him to the Example of others He wondred he said he could hear my Lord of Canterbury preaching out of Kent And that if he had been a Kentish-Man he might have had some more shadow to put up an Accusation against him Now Gostwick hearing of this grievous Threat came with all possible speed unto Lambeth and there submitted himself in such sorrowful case that my Lord out of hand not only forgave all his Offences but also went directly unto the King for the obtaining of the King's Favour which he obtained very hardly and upon condition that the King might hear no more of his meddling that way This happened I suppose in the Parliament that began in Ianuary and continued till March 29. 1544. The Arch-bishop's Palace at Canterbury was this Year burnt and therein his Brother-in-Law and other Men according to Stow. I find no Bishops Consecrated in this Year At length the Confederacy of the Papists in the Privy-Council whereof I suspect the Duke of Norfolk to be one a great Friend of Winchester's by whose Instigation this Design was set on Foot came and accused him most grievously unto the King That he with his Learned Men had so infected the whole Realm with their unsavoury Doctrine that three parts of the Land were become abominable Hereticks And that it might prove dangerous to the King being like to produce such Commotions and Uproars as were sprung up in Germany And therefore they desired that the Arch-bishop might be committed unto the Tower until he might be examined The King was very strait in granting this They told him That the Arch-bishop being one of the Privy-Council no Man dared to object Matter against him unless he were first committed to durance Which being done Men would be bold to tell the Truth and say their Consciences Upon this Pâ—rswasion of theirs the King granted unto them that they should call him the next Day before them and as they saw cause so to commit him to the Tower At Midnight about Eleven of the Clock before the Day he should appear before the Council the King sent Mr. Denny to my Lord at Lambeth willing him incontinently to come over to VVestminster to him The Arch-bishop was in Bed but rose straitway and repaired to the King whom he found in the Gallery at VVhitehall Being come the King declared unto him what he had done in giving Liberty to the Council to commit him to Prison for that they bare him in hand that he and his learned Men had sown such Doctrine in the Realm that all Men almost were infected with Heresy and that no Man durst bring Matter against him being at Liberty and one of the Council And therefore I have granted to their Request said the King but whether I have done well or no what say you my Lord The Arch-bishop first humbly thanked the King that it had pleased him to give him that warning before-hand And that he was very well content to be committed to the Tower for the trial of his Doctrine so that he might be indifferently heard as he doubted not but that his Majesty would see him so to be used Whereat the King cried out O Lord God what fond Simplicity have you so to permit your self to be imprisoned that every Enemy of yours may take Advantage against you Do not you know that when they have you once in Prison three or four false Knaves will soon be procured to witness against you and condemn you which else now being at Liberty dare not once open their Lips or appear before
W. Wilts I. Bedford E. Clynton T. Ely A. Wyngfeld W. Herbert W. Petre. Edw. North. Accordingly Iune 9. The Duke of Somerset the Marquess of Northampton the Lord Treasurer the Earl of Bedford and Secretary Petre went to the Bishop of Winchester to know what he would stick to Whether to conform to and promote the King's Laws or no He answered That he would obey and set forth all things set forth by the King and Parliament And if he were troubled in Conscience he would reveal it to the Council and not reason openly against it And then he desired to see the King's Book of Proceedings At Greenwich Iune 10. Report was made by the Duke of Somerset and the rest sent to the Bishop of Winchester that he desired to see the said Book The next day were the Books sent to him and delivered to him by the Lieutenant of the Tower as the Council appointed to see if he would set his Hand to them and promise to set them forth to the People At Greenwich Iune 13. the Lieutenant of the Tower declared unto the Council that the Bishop having perused the Books of the Proceedings said unto him He could make no direct answer unless he were at Liberty and so being he would say his Conscience On the 14 th Day the Duke of Somerset and five more of the Council again repaired to the Bishop to whom he made this Answer I have deliberately seen the Book of Common-Prayer Altho I would not have made it so my self yet I find such things in it as satisfy my Conscience And therefore I will both execute it my self and also see others my Parishioners to do it And this the Councellors testified under their Hands as his Saying Iuly the 9 th There were certain Articles drawn up signed by King and Council for the Bishop to subscribe which contained the Confession of his Fault the Supremacy of the King and his Successors the establishing of Holy Days or dispensing with them to be in the King the Service-Book to be Godly and Christian the acknowledgment of the King to be Supream Head and to submit to him and his Laws under Age the abolishing the Six Articles and the King's Power of correcting and reforming the Church These Articles together with a Letter from the King the Earl of Warwick Lord great Master the Lord S. Iohn Lord Treasurer Sir William Herbert Master of the Horse and Secretary Petre carried to the Bishop requiring him to sign them Which he did only making exception to the first Iuly 10. The said Lords made report unto the Council that they had delivered the King's Letter unto the Bishop together with the Articles Unto all which Articles he subscribed thus with his own Hand Stev Winton saving the first Against which he wrote in the Margin these words I cannot in my Conscience confess the Preface knowing my self to be of that sort I am indeed and ever have been To which Articles thus subscribed by the Bishop these of the Council wrote their Names E. Somers W. Wilts I. Warwick I. Bedford W. Northampton E. Clynton G. Cobham William Paget W. Herbert W. Petre Edw. North. Iuly 11. at Westminster This was brought to the Council And his boggling in this manner at the Confession displeased the King that being the principal Point But to the intent he should have no just cause to say he was not mercifully handled it was agreed that Sir VVilliam Herbert and the Secretary should go the next day to him to tell him that the King marvelled he refused to put his Hand to the Confession And that if the words thereof seemed too sore then to refer it to himself in what sort and with what words he should devise to submit himself That upon the acknowledgment of his Fault the King might extend his Mercy towards him as was determined Iuly 13. Sir VVilliam Herbert and the Secretary reported that the Bishop stood precisely in his own Justification He said That he could not subscribe to the Confession because he was Innocent and also because the Confession was but the preface to the Articles Upon this it was agreed by the Council that a new Book of Articles and a new Submission should be devised for the Bishop to subscribe And the Bishop of London Secretary Petre Mr. Cecyl and Goodrick a Common Lawyer were commanded to make these Articles according to Law And then for the more authentick proceeding with the Bishop the two former Persons were again to resort to him with the new Draught and to take with them a Divine which was the Bishop of London and a Lawyer which was Goodrick These Articles were 22 in Number and to this Tenor That King Henry VIII had justly supprest Monasteries That persons may Marry who are not prohibited to contract Matrimony by the Levitical Law without the Bishop of Rome's Dispensation That vowing or going Pilgrimages were justly abolished the Conterfeyting S. Nicholas St. Clement c. was mere Mockery That it is convenient that the Scriptures should be in English That the Late King and the present did upon just ground take into their Hands Chauntries which were for maintenance of private Masses That private Masses were justly taken away by the Statutes of the Realm and the Communion placed instead thereof is very Godly That it is convenient that the Sacrament should be received in both Kinds That the Mass where the Priest doth only receive and others look on is but the Invention of Man That it was upon good and Godly Consideration ordered in the Book that the Sacrament should not be lifted up and shewed to the People to be adored That it is politickly and godly done that Images in Churches and Mass-Books were enacted to be abolished That Bishops Priests and Deacons have no Commandment in the Law of God to vow Chastity or abstain from Marriage And that all Canons and Constitutions which do prohibit Marriage to the Clergy be justly taken away by Parliament That the Homilies and the Forms set forth of making Arch-bishops Bishops Priests and Deacons are Godly and wholsome and ought to be received That the Orders of Subdeacon Benet and Colet c. be not necessary and justly left out in the Book of Orders That the Holy Scriptures contain sufficiently all Doctrines necessary to Salvation That upon good and godly Consideration it was injoined that Erasmus's Paraphrases should be set up in Churches And that it was the King's Pleasure that the Bishop should affirm these Articles by Subscription of his Hand and declare himself willing to publish and preach the same These Articles were brought to the Bishop by the Master of the Horse and Secretary Petre with the Bishop of London and Goodrick To whom the Bishop answered That he would not consent to the Article of Submission Praying to be brought to his Trial and desired nothing but Justice And for the rest of the Articles when he was at Liberty then it should appear what he
great Moment and that he would not be wanting to him in any Matters of that sort being a Person of that Knowledg in Sacred Prophane Learning of that Prudence Circumspection and Dexterity in managing Business And so finally joined him with Pope to perform all this piously and catholickly according to the Rule of Evangelick Religion and the Exigency of the Laws and Statutes of this Kingdom And deputed him his Vice-gerent This Letter was dated at Croydon the 20 th of August This Commission seemed to be somewhat extraordinary The occasion whereof might be because the Arch-bishop did not confide in this Chancellor of the Church suspecting his Religion and Compliance with the King's Proceedings therefore he thought good to associate him with Taylor the Dean of whom he was well assured The Church of Worcester became also Vacant by the Deprivation of Hethe the Bishop The Arch-bishop committed the Spiritualties thereof to Iohn Barlo Dean of the said Church and Roland Taylor LL. D. his Domestick Chaplain These he constituted his Officials to exercise all Episcopal Jurisdiction This Commission was dated at Lambeth Ian. 10. 1554 by an Error of the Scribe for 1551. as appears by a Certificate sent from the Church to that Arch-bishop signifying the Vacation of it Upon the Vacancy of the Church of Chichester by the Deprivation of Day the Arch-bishop made Iohn Worthial Arch-deacon of Chichester and Robert Taylor LL. B. Dean of the Deanery of South-Malling his Officials This Commission to them dated Novemb. 3 1551 was to Visit c. Upon the Vacancy of the Church of Hereford by the Death of Skip late Bishop there the Spiritualties were committed to Hugh Coren LL. D. Dean of that Church and Rich. Cheny D.D. Arch-deacon of Hereford Their Commission was to Visit c. Upon the Vacancy of the Bishoprick of Bangor either by the Death of Bulkly the Bishop or his Resignation upon his blindness the Arch-bishop made his Commissaries Griffin Leyson his principal Chancellor and Official Rowland Merick a Canon of S. David's and Geofrey Glynn L L. D D. The Church of Rochester also became this Year Vacant by the Translation of Scory to Chichester In these Vacancies the Bishopricks were lamentably pilled by hungry Courtiers of the Revenues belonging to them This Year Bishop Hoper was by the Council dispatched down as was said before into his Diocess where things were much out of order and Popery had great footing and therefore it wanted such a stirring Man as he was That he might do the more Good he had the Authority of the Lords of the Council to back him by a Commission granted to him and others He brought most of the Parish-Priests and Curates from their old Superstitions and Errors concerning the Doctrine of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper The Recantation of one of them of more note named Phelps the Incumbent of Ciciter which he made publickly and subscribed may be seen in the Appendix This Year there happened two learned Conferences in Latin privately managed about the Corporeal Presence in the Sacrament The one on the 25 th of November in the House of Sir William Cecyl Secretary of State performed by the said Cecyl Sir Iohn Cheke Horne Dean of Durham Whitehead and Grindal on the Protestant side and Feckenham and Yong on the Popish But first before they began Cecyl under his solemn Protestation assured them that every Man should have free Liberty to speak his Mind and that none should receive any Dammage or incurr any Danger Cheke began by propounding this question Quis esset verus germanus sensus verborum Coenae Hoc est corpus meum Num quem verba sensu grammatico accepta prae se ferebant an aliud quiddam To whom Feckenham answered There were present besides those that disputed these noble and learned Persons The Lord Russel Sir Anthony Coke Mr. Hales Mr. Wroth Mr. Frogmartin Mr. Knolles Mr. Harrington The second Disputation was Decemb. 3. following in Mr. Morisin's House where were present the Marq. of Northampton the Earl of Rutland the Lord Russel and those above named and Watson added on the Papists side Then Cheke again propounded the Question Whether the words of the Supper are to be understood in a grammatical or in a figurative Sense To which Watson Responded Both these Disputations are too large for this place but they are set down in one of the Manuscript Volumes of the Benet-Library In November died Dr. Iohn Redman Master of Trinity-College in Cambridg and one of the great Lights of that University for the bringing in solid Learning among the Students a Prebendary of the Church of Westminster and who in the Year 1549 assisted in the compiling the English Book of Common-Prayer and preached a Sermon upon the Learned Bucer's Death the day following his Funeral He was a Person of extraordinary Reputation among all for his great Learning and Reading and profound Knowledg in Divinity So that the greatest Divines gave a mighty Deference to his Judgment And therefore when he lay sick at Westminster many learned Men repaired to him desiring to know his last Judgment of several Points then so much controverted And he was very ready to give them Satisfaction Among the rest that came were Richard Wilks Master of Christ's College Cambridg Alexander Noel afterwards Dean of Paul's and Yong a Man of Fame in Cambridg for his disputing against Bucer about Justification In these Conferences with these learned Man he called the See of Rome Sentina Malorum A Sink of Evils he said That Purgatory as the Schoolmen taught it was ungodly and that there was no such kind of Purgatory as they fancied That the offering up the Sacrament in Masses and Trentals for the Sins of the Dead was ungodly That the Wicked are not partakers of the Body of Christ but receive the outward Sacrament only That it ought not to be carried about in Procession That nothing that is seen in the Sacrament or perceived with the outward Sense is to be worshipped That we receive not Christ's Body Corporaliter grosly like other Meats but so Spiritualiter that nevertheless Verè truly That there was not any good ground in the old Doctors for Transubstantiation as ever he could perceive nor could he see what could be answered to the Objections against it That Priests might by the Law of God marry Wives That this Proposition Faith only justifies so that this Faith signify a true lively Faith resting in Christ and embracing him is a true godly sweet and comfortable Doctrine That our Works cannot deserve the Kingdom of God And he said that it troubled him that he had so much strove against Justification by Faith only A Treatise whereof he composed which was printed at Antwerp after his Death in the Year 1555. He said also to Yong That Consensus Ecclesiae was but a weak Staff to lean to and exhorted him to read the Scriptures
this day the Duke of Somerset was called again to Council and 15. At the Star-Chamber May 16. At Westminster May 28 Iune 5. At Greenwich June 8 11 13 20 22. At Westminster Iune 28 29 30. and Iuly 1. About which time the Arch-bishop seemed to depart into his Diocess and there to remain that Summer Octob. 11. There was an Order of Council for a Letter to be writ to him in answer to his of complaint against the Vicar of Dertford to imprison him for his Disobedience unto him and in Prison to endure until the said Arch-bishop should come to Court Octob. 18. Was another Order of Council for three Letters to be writ The One to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury another to the Bishop of Ely and another to thâ— Bishop of Lincoln Because as the Words run the Parliament draweth near Before which time his Majesty thinketh it expedient to have some Matters there to be consulted Their Lordships were required immediately to repair to the Court where they shall understand his Majesty's further Pleasure And that Day his Grace was sent for November 11. He was present at Council At Westminster November 16 17 18 26. December 4. When the Archbishop and Bishop of Ely answered the Bishop of Chichester then before the Council as to the Texts by him produced in behalf of Altars Decemb. 5 9 11 13. On which Day a Letter was sent to the Lieutenant of the Tower to bring the Bishop of Winchester to Lambeth before the Arch-bishop Ianuary 13. He was present at the Council at Greenwich when Hoper was ordered to be committed to the Arch-bishop's Custody Present again at Council at Greenwich Febr. 8. At Westminster the 16 18. Then upon the Report of the Arch-bishop made of one Young a Learned Man I suppose he of Cambridg that was Bucer's Antagonist viz. That he had preached seditiously against the King's Proceedings in Religion it was ordered that the Arch-bishop and the Bishop of Ely should examine him and thereupon order him as they should think good He was present at Council still at Westminster March 4 8. When he was appointed to receive a Sum of Money in respect of his Charges and Pains in his Process against the late Bishop of Winchester now deprived 9 11 12 22 24. Anno 1551. March 26 31. At Greenwich April the 8 9 11 26. May 4 10 24 25. Iune 4 14. when a Letter was given to the Arch-bishop to send to the Lieutenant of the Tower for the bringing White Warden of New-College in VVinchester and delivering him to the Arch-bishop to remain with him till he might reclaim him 15 21 22. At Richmond August 9. At Hampton-Court Octob. 1. When a Licence was granted to VVolf under the King's Privilege to print the Arch-bishop's Book At VVestminster Octob. 17 19 22 28. Novemb. 2 5 9 10 15 17 21 26. Decemb. 11 12. 13. A Letter was sent from the Council to the Arch-bishop to send them a Book touching Religion sent out of Ireland 17 18 19. Ian. 24 31. Febr. 8 16 22 28. March 22. Anno 1552. He was present at the Council now sitting at VVestminster March 30. April 4 5 8 9 11 18 19 24. From which time till the Month of Octob. he was not at the Council and yet seems to have been at Home Octob. 7. The Council sent to him to stay his going into Kent till Tuesday because the Lords would confer with him that is till Octob. 11. when he was again present at Council The Arch-bishop now retired into his Diocess and was at his House at Ford. Whither several Messages and Letters were sent to him from the Council as Nov. 20. They sent him the Articles of Religion framed chiefly by him and reviewed by the King's Chaplains for his last Review in order to the putting them into due Execution Nov. 24. Another sent him according to the Minute of some Business unknown Decemb. 2. Another Letter to him for the installing of Hoper without paying any Fees And another Feb. 2. in favour of Mr. Knox to be by him collated to the Living of Alhallows This Month he returned and was at the Council at Westminster Likewise Febr. 21 22 2â— 27 28. Anno 1553. March 25. April 1 7. At Greenwich Iune 2 3 6 8. And that was the last time mentioned in the Council-Book ending at Iune 17. Nor cared he to come afterwards the Business then in transaction not pleasing him A Bishop Consecrated May 26. Iohn Harley S. T. P. was Consecrated and was the last that was Consecrated in this King's Reign Bishop of Hereford upon the Death of Skip by the Arch-bishop at Croyden Chappel Nicolas Bishop of London and Robert Bishop of Carlile assisting This Harley was one of the King 's Six Chaplains Bill Bradford Grindal Pern and Knox being the other five that were appointed to be Itineraries to preach sound Doctrine in all the remotest Parts of the Kingdom for the Instruction of the Ignorant in right Religion to God and Obedience to the King The End of the Second Book MEMORIALS OF Arch-Bishop CRANMER BOOK III. CHAPTER I. Queen Mary soon recognized The Arch-bishop Slandered and Imprisoned I Find the Arch-bishop present among Queen Iane's Counsellors Whose Party seemed to be resolute for her until the 19 th of Iuly All these Persons of Quality were with her in the Tower consulting of Affairs for her Service Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellor the Earl of Winchester Lord Treasurer the Dukes of Suffolk and Northumberland the Earls of Bedford Arundel Shrewsbury Pembroke the Lords Darcy and Paget Sir Thomas Cheiney Sir Richard Cotton Sir VVilliam Petre Sir Iohn Cheke Sir Iohn Baker Sir Robert Bowes being all of her Council All which excepting Northumberland signed a Letter dated Iuly 19. to the Lord Rich Lord Lieutenant of the County of Essex who had signified to them that the Earl of Oxford was fled to the Lady Mary In their Letter they exhorted him to stand true and tight to Q. Iane as they said they did and would do It was penned by Cheke for Secretary Cecyl was absent and Petre the other Secretary though present did it not though he signed it The Letter is in the Appendix The Day before this Letter was sent viz Iuly 18 there being a Rising in Buckinghamshire and the Parts thereabouts Queen Iane her self thinking her self sure of Sir Iohn Bridges and Sir Nicolas Poyntz signed a Letter to them therein ordering them to raise with speed all the Power they could of their Servants Tenants Officers and Friends to allay that Tumult And so She had written to other Gentlemen in those Parts to do This Letter also I have put in the Appendix And yet to see the vicissitude of Mens Minds and uncertainty of human Affairs Iuly 20. Divers of those very Counsellors that but the Day before set their Hands resolvedly to stand by Q. Iane proclaimed Q. Mary in the City
none until some other Means should be found out by the States of the Empire for healing the present Divisions And that he would use his utmost diligence that a Council should be denounced within six Months and the Year after to be commenced And that if this could not be obtained then these Matters should be referred to the Imperial Diets to be handled there That in the mean time all Judicial Proceedings relating to Religion should be suspended and that no Law-Suits should hereafter be commenced against the Protestants and that in case any were he commanded that they should be void and null This Edict was published in the Month of August this Year Together with the aforesaid Proclamation he transferred over to the King the Tax of all the States of the Empire that is How many Souldiers every Man was limited to find for Aid against the Turk Whence our Ambassador made a particular Observation to his Master for his better Direction what number of Forces it were equal for him to send and to justify his Refusal to comply with the Emperor in case he should have demanded more than was his Proportion Taking his Measures from the said Tax And the Observation which he made was this That his Grace might perceive that the greatest Prince in Germany only the Duke of Burgundy and Austria excepted was not appointed above 120 Horsemen and 554 Footmen A Transcript of this Letter of Cranmer to the King I have put in the Appendix These Passages will serve to shew Dr. Cranmer's Diligence Wisdom and other Abilities in the Quality he now stood in of an Ambassador Being now resident in the Emperor's Court the King made use of him in another Embassy but to be more secretly made to the Elector Frederick Duke of Saxony that the Emperor might not be privy to it For in the Month of Iuly Dr. Cranmer departed incognito from Ratisbon where the Emperor was and had there appointed a Diet in order to the coming to some Terms of Peace with the Protestants until a Council should be called and came privately to the Duke then abiding in a certain Hospital as it was called and delivered Letters to him and to Philip Duke of Lunenburgh and Wolfgang Prince of Anhalt At this first Congress he assured the Elector of his Master the King of England's Friendship as the Letters he delivered imported The next day he returned to the Elector's Court Pontanus and Spalatinus two of the Elector's Counsellors being present Here at this Meeting he required divers things concerning Peace with the Emperor the State of Religion Aid against the Turk and the Goods of the Church which the Princes were said to invade He spake magnificent things of the King his Master as what mighty Aids he had offered the Emperor against the Turk and as he told them the French King would do And so taking Letters to the King from Frederick dated Iuly 15. he was dismissed But four days after he came again privately with one Servant only and had conference with Spalatinus all alone telling him that he had forgot as he pretended one part of his Message and that was That not only his Master but the French King was ready to give Assistance to the Elector and his Confederates in the case of Religion And he desired to know in what state the Business of the Election of Ferdinand stood whom being the Emperor's Brother he had made King of the Romans by a pretended Election Which Election gave offence and Frederick Duke of Saxony had manifested Imperfect and Defective What Answer was given to Cranmer was not known Only it was thought that this was somewhat unseasonably acted because saith my Author there was Peace at this time between the Emperor and the English which the Kings Ambassador by those Offers did desire to disturb This it seems was the Judgment of the Protestants concerning this Overture to them by the King's Ambassador as tho it were not sincere But I do not find but that whatsoever Peace was now between the Emperor and the English the former League with him was shaking by reason of the Emperor's disobliging the King in siding so earnestly with Queen Katharine in the Controversy between the King and her CHAP. IV. Cranmer made Arch-Bishop of Canterbury AND this great Trust the King his gracious Master committed to him as a mark of the Honour he had for him and a Sign of further Preferment he was minded to advance him to And about this very time happened a fair Opportunity to the King to manifest his Favour to him Warham Arch-Bishop of Canterbury departing this mortal Life whereby that See became Vacant The Preferment indeed seemed too great for Cranmer at one stride to step into without some other intervening Dignities to have been first conferred on him But the King thinking him the fittest Man of all the English Clergy to be promoted to this high Office resolved to give it to him though now absent abroad upon his Business Hereupon the King commanded him to hasten Home though he concealed the Reason from him which was to take the Archbishoprick he had designed for him Which when he came Home in Obedience to his Majesty though much against his Inclination and after many Refusals proceeding from his great Modesty and Humility and certain Scruples at length he did accept It doth not appear to me what Ecclesiastical Places he had before only that he was the King's Chaplain and Arch-deacon of Taunton The Pope also in honour to his Master had constituted him Poenitentiary General of England He had also a Benefice while he lived in the Earl of Wiltshire's Family which was bestowed upon him by the King A mention whereof I find in one of his Letters to the said Earl It was in the Month of August 1532 that William Warham Arch-Bishop of Canterbury died a wise and Grave Man a great Patron of the most Learned Erasmus and once Lord Chancellor of England Who seemed to foresee and foretell or at least to conjecture that Thomas Cranmer should succeed him as judging him in his own Mind the fittest Person for the King 's and Church's Service in that juncture to enter upon that See For this truth methinks we may pick out of those malicious words of Harpsfield in his Ecclesiastical History viz. That Arch-Bishop Warham should say That a Thomas should succeed him who by a loose and remiss indulgence of a licentious sort of Life granted to the People and by unsound Doctrines would more disgrace the Church of Canterbury and all the rest of the Church of England than Thomas the Martyr did amplify it by his Martyrdom And that he admonished his Nephew and Name-sake William Warham Arch-deacon of Canterbury that if any Thomas should succeed in the See while he lived he should not by any means enter into his Service It is not unusual nay it is seldom otherwise for Popish Historians to
Canterbury meaneth that thus abuseth the People in giving them liberty to read the Scriptures which doth nothing else but infect them with Heresy I have bestowed never an Hour upon my Portion nor never will And therefore my Lord shall have this Book again for I will never be guilty of bringing the simple People into Error My Lord of Canterbury's Servant took the Book and brought the same to Lambeth unto my Lord declaring my Lord of London's Answer When the Arch-bishop had perceived that the Bishop had done nothing therein I marvel said he that my Lord of London is so froward that he will not do as other Men do One Mr. Thomas Lawney stood by and hearing my Lord speak so much of the Bishop's untowardness said I can tell your Grace why my Lord of London will not bestow any labour or pains this way Your Grace knoweth well that his Portion is a piece of New Testament But he being perswaded that Christ had bequeathed him nothing in his Testament thought it mere madness to bestow any labour or pain where no Gain was to be gotten And besides this it is the Acts of the Apostles which were simple poor Fellows and therefore my Lord of London disdained to have to do with any of them Whereat my Lord of Canterbury and others that stood by could not forbear from laughter This Lawney was a witty Man and Chaplain to the old Duke of Norfolk and had been one of the Scholars placed by the Cardinal in his New College at Oxon. Where he was Chaplain of the House and Prisoner there with Frith another of the Scholars In the Time of the six Articles he was a Minister in Kent placed there I suppose by the Arch-bishop When that severe Act was past more by the Authority of a Parliament than by the Authority of the Word of God it chanced that my Lord of Norfolk meeting with this his Chaplain said O! my Lawney knowing him of old much to favour Priests Matrimony whether may Priests now have Wives or no If it please your Grace replied he I cannot well tell whether Priests may have Wives or no But well I wot and am sure of it for all your Act that Wives will have Priests Hearken Masters said the Duke how this Knave scorneth our Act and maketh it not worth a Fly Well I see by it that thou wilt never forget thy old Tricks And so the Duke and such Gentlemen as were with him went away merrily laughing at Lawney's sudden and apt Answer The Reader will excuse this Digression CHAP. IX Monasteries visited THis Year the Monasteries were visited by Cramwel Chief Visitor Who appointed Leighton Legh Petre London his Deputies with Injunctions given them to be observed in their Visitation Indeed the King now had thoughts of dissolving them as well as visiting them Whose Ends herein were partly because he saw the Monks and Friars so untoward towards him and so bent to the Pope and partly to enrich himself with the Spoils Arch-bishop Cranmer is said also to have counselled and pressed the King to it but for other Ends viz. That out of the Revenues of these Monasteries the King might found more Bishopricks and that Diocesses being reduced into less compass the Diocesans might the better discharge their Office according to the Scripture and Primitive Rules And because the Arch-bishop saw how inconsistent these Foundations were with the Reformation of Religion Purgatory Masses Pilgrimages Worship of Saints and Images being effectual to their Constitution as the Bishop of Sarum hath observed And the Arch-bishop hoped that from these Ruins there would be new Foundations in every Cathedral erected to be Nurseries of Learning for the use of the whole Diocess But however short our Arch-bishop fell of his Ends desired and hoped for by these Dissolutions the King obtained his For the vast Riches that the Religious Houses brought in to the King may be guessed by what was found in one namely S. Swithins Winchester An account of the Treasures whereof I having once observed from a Manuscript in the Benet Library thought not amiss here to lay before the Reader which he may find in the Appendix When these Visitors returned home from their Visitation they came well stock'd with Informations of the loose wicked and abominable Lives and Irregularities of the chief Members of these Houses of Religion having by diligent inquisition throughout all England collected them These Enormities were read publickly in the Parliament-House being brought in by the Visitors When they were first read nothing was done with these unclean Abbots and Priors But within a while saith Latimer in a Sermon before King Edward how bad soever the Repâ—â—ts of them were some of them were made Bishops and others put into good Dignities in the Church that so the King might save their Pensions which were otherwise to be paid them Now I will at the conclusion of my Collections for this Year set down the Names of the Bishops this Year consecrated both Diocesan and Suffragan there having bâ—en an Act of Parliament made in the six and twentieth of the King that is the last Year for furnishing the Diocesses with six and twenty Suffragans for the better aid and comfort of the Diocesans The Seâ—s whereof are all set down in the said Act. But I doubt whether there were ever so many made At least the mention of the Acts of the Consecration of some of the Suffragans in the Province of Canterbury are omitted in the Register Before this Act of Parliament enjoining the number of Suffragans Suffragans were not unusual in the Realm Whom the Bishops Diocesans either for their own ease or because of their necessary absence from their Diocesses in Ambassies abroad or Attendance upon the Court or civil Affairs procured to be consecrated to reside in their steads Thus to give some Instances of them as I have met with them About the Year 1531 I find one Vnderwood Suffragan in Norwich that degraded Bilney before his Martyrdom Certain bearing the Title of Bishops of Sidon assisted the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury One of these was named Thomas Wellys Prior of S. Gregories by Canterbury He being Arch-Bishop Warham's Chaplain was sent by him to Cardinal Wolsey to expostulate with him in his Lord's Name for encroaching upon his Prerogative Court There was afterwards one Christopher that bore that Title and assisted Arch-bishop Cranmer about these Times in Ordinations and another Thomas intitled also of Sidon succeeded Long before these I find one William Bottlesham Espicopus Navatensis Anno 1382 at the Convocation House in London summoned against the Wicklivites that then shewed themselves at Oxford Robert King Abbot of Oseney while Abbot was consecrated titular Bishop and called Episcopus Roannensis a See in the Province of the Arch-bishoprick of Athens This is he that resigned Oseny and Tame under the name of Bishop of Reonen Of which See the Bishop of Sarum
their Clients Causes It was urged also that it was a great discouragement to young Men in studying the Law when there is so little prospect of Benefit thereby Lastly That it was contrary to the Civil and Canon Law that permits any Man to be Proctor for another a few excepted But this Paper notably enough written may be read at large in the Appendix And so I leave the Reader to judg of the Expediency of this Order of the Arch-bishop by weighing the Arch-bishop's Reasons with these last mentioned Surely this his Act deserved commendation for his good Intentions thereby though some lesser Inconveniences attended which no doubt he had also well considered before he proceeded to do what he did When Queen Ann on May the 2 d was sent to the Tower by a sudden Jealousy of the King her Husband The next day the Arch-bishop extreamly troubled at it struck in with many good Words with the King on her behalf in form of a Letter of Consolation to him yet wisely making no Apology for her but acknowledging how divers of the Lords had told him of certain of her Faults which he said he was sorry to hear And concluded desiring that the King would however continue his Love to the Gospel lest it should be thought that it was for her sake only that he had favoured it Being in the Tower there arose up new Matter against Queen Ann namely concerning some lawful Impediment of her Marriage with the King and that was thought to be a Pre-Contract between her and the Earl of Northumberland Whereupon the Arch-bishops of Canterbury and York were made Commissioners to examine this Matter And she being before the Arch-bishop of Canterbury confessed certain just true and lawful Impediments as the Act in the 26 of Hen. VIII expresseth it but not mentioning what they were So that by that Act the said Marriage is declared never to have been good nor consonant to the Laws Yet the Earl of Northumberland being examined upon Oath before both the Arch-bishops denied it Upon the Truth of which he received also the Blessed Sacrament And the Lord Herbert saw an Original Letter to Secretary Crumwel to the same import But her Confession of it so far prevailed with the King that he would be divorced from her and with our Arch-bishop that he performed it by due Order and Process of Law And an Act passed that the Marriage between the King and Queen Ann was null and void and the Issue illegitimate The Arch-bishop granted a Licence dated Iuly the 24 th with the full Consent of Richard Withipol Vicar of Walthamstow in Essex to George Monoux Alderman of London and Thomas his Son to have the Sacrament administred in his Chappel or Oratory in his House De Moones now a Farm near Higham-hill in the said Parish of VValthamstow Indulging therein to the Wife of the said Thomas to be purified or churched in the same Chappel I the rather mention this that it may serve to recal the Memory of that pious and charitable Citizen and Draper Sir Geo. Monoux who built the fair Steeple of that Parish-Church and allowed a Salary for ever for ringing the great Bell at a certain Hour in the Night and Morning the Winter half Year He built also the North Isle of the said Church in the Glass-windows whereof is yet remaining his Coat of Arms. In the Chancel his Body was interred under a fair Altar-Monument yet standing In the Church-yard he founded an Hospital and Free-School and very liberally endowed it though now the Endowments are sadly diminished He also made a Causeway over Walthamstow-Marsh to Lockbridg over the River Lee for the conveniency of Travellers from those Parts to London and left wherewith to continue and keep it in Repair but that also is lost and the Ruins now only to be seen But enough of that The Germans conceived great hope of good to befal the Church by Cranmer's Influence and Presidency in England and took their opportunities of addressing to him This Year Martin Bucer published a large Book in Folio upon the Epistle to the Romans intituled Metaphrasis Enâ—rratio and dedicated it in a long Epistle to the Arch-bishop Wherein are sundry Expressions which will shew how well known abroad the Arch-bishop was already among the Protestants and what an excellent Bishop they looked upon him to be and how fixed their Eyes were upon him for doing great things towards a Reformation in England For thus he writ in this Epistle Te omnes praedicant animo praeditum Archiepiscopo tanti sicque ad gloriam Christi comparati regni Primate digno c. That all Men proclaimed him endowed with a Mind worthy of an Arch-bishop and Primate of so great a Kingdom and so disposed to the Glory of Christ. That he had so attained to this high Estate in Christ by his spiritual Wisdom Holiness of Life and most ardent Zeal to render Christ's Glory more illustrious that gathering together the Humble and taking pity upon the Sheepfold being indeed dispersed and scattered abroad he always sought and saved that which was lost and brought back Christ's poor Sheep to his Fold and the Pastures of everlasting Life when they had been before most miserably harassed by the Servants of Superstition and the Emissaries of the Roman Tyranny And after speaking of the King 's rooting out the Usurpation of the Pope and his pretended Jurisdiction by taking to himself the Supremacy the said Learned Man excited Cranmer to a further Reformation by telling him How easy now it would be for him and the other Arch-bishops and Bishops who were endued with the Spirit and Zeal of Christ from the remainders of the Ecclesiastical Administration to retain what might contribute to the true edifying of Consciences the saving Instruction of Youth and to the just Discipline and Polity of the whole Christian People For when the Enemies were once removed out of the way there could not then happen among us any extraordinary great Concussion of Religion and Ecclesiastical Discipline or any dashing one against another as among them in Germany of necessity came to pass striving so many Years for the Church of Christ against such obstinate Enemies The Consecrations this Year were these Diocesan Bishops Iune the 10 th Richard Sampson Doctor of Decrees and Dean of the King's Chappel was elected and confirmed Bishop of Chichester by Resignation of Robert Sherburn who was now very old No Consecration set down in the Register Iune William Rugg a Monk was consecrated Bishop of Norwich This is omitted also if I mistake not in the Register Probably he was consecrated with Sampson Iuly the 2 d Robert Warton Abbot of Bermondsey was consecrated Bishop of S. Asaph at Lambeth by the Arch-bishop Iohn Bishop of Bangor and William Bishop of Norwich assisting Suffragan Bishops Octob. 20. William More B. D. consecrated Suffragan of Colchester by Iohn Bishop of
and put forth by Henry Lord Stafford in King Edward's Days The King affecting to be thought Learned affected also to have Books called by his Name not that he was always the Author of them but that they came out by his Authority and had undergone his Corrections and Emendations But before we pass away from hence it may be convenient to give the Reader a little taste of so famous a Treatise as that Bishop's Book was in those Days And I will do it not in my own words but in the words of a very Learned and Eminent Man the Answerer to Dr. Martin's Book against Priests Marriage not far from the beginning of Q Mary supposed to be Ponet Bishop of Winchester then in Exile Applying himself in his Preface unto the Queen's Prelats he told them That in their Book intituled The Institution of a Christian Man presented by their whole Authorities to the King of famous Memory K. Henry VIII In the Preface thereof they affirmed to his Highness with one assent by all their Learnings that the said Treatise was in all Points concordant and agreeable to Holy Scripture yea such Doctrine that they would and desired to have it taught by all the Spiritual Pastors to all the King 's loving Subjects to be Doctrine of Faith And there intreating of the Sacrament of Orders they desired to have it taught that we be in no subjection to the Bishop of Rome and his Statutes but meerly subject to the King's Laws under his only Territory and Jurisdiction And that the Canons and Rules of the Church were therefore allowable in the Realm because the Assent of the King and of the People accepted the same And that Priests and Bishops whatsoever never had any Authority by the Gospel in Matters Civil and Moral but by the Grant and Gift of Princes and that it was alway and ever shall be lawful unto Kings and Princes and to their Successors with the Consent of their Parliaments to revoke and call again into their own Hands or otherwise to restrain all their Power and Jurisdiction given and permitted by their Authority Assent or Sufferance c. Without the which if the Bishop of Rome or any other Bishop whatsoever should take upon them any Authority or Jurisdiction in such Matters as be Civil No doubt said they that Bishop is not worthy to be called a Bishop but rather a Tyrant and an Usurper of other Mens Rights contrary to the Laws of God and is to be reputed a Subverter of the Kingdom of Christ. Yea besides these things and many other as he added they put in our Creed or Belief as an Article of Salvation or Damnation that the Church of England is as well to be named a Catholick and Apostolick Church as Rome Church or any other Church where the Apostles were resident And that they willed us to believe in our Faith that there is no difference in Superiority Preeminence or Authority one over the other but be all of equal Power and Dignity and that all Churches be free from the Subjection and Jurisdiction of the Church of Rome And that no Church is to be called Schismatical as varying from the Unity of the Church of Christ if it persist in the Unity of Christ's Faith Hope and Charity and Unity of Christ's Doctrine and Sacraments agreeable to the same Doctrine And that it appertained to Christen Kings and Princes in the discharge of their Duty to God to reform and reduce again the Laws to their old Limits and pristine State of their Power and Jurisdiction which was given them by Christ and used in the Primitive Church For it is say they out of all doubt that Christ's Faith was then most firm and pure and the Scriptures of God were then best understood and Vertue did then most abound and excel And therefore the Customs and Ordinances then used and made must needs be more conform and agreeable unto the true Doctrine of Christ and more conducing to the edifying and benefit of the Church of Christ than any Custom or Laws used or made since that Time This he collected out of their Exposition of the Sacrament of Orders The said Learned Author observed that this Doctrine was set forth by the whole Authority of the Bishops in those Days presented by the Subscription of all their Names And since the time of their presenting thereof by the space almost of twenty Years that is to the middle of Queen Mary never revoked but continually from time to time taught by this Book and by such other Declarations And that one more Particular relating to this Book may be known namely who the Bishops and other Divines were that composed it and that were commissioned so to do I shall record their Names as they were found writ by the Hand of Dr. Sam. Ward in his own Book now in the possession of N. B. a Reverend Friend of mine who hath well deserved of this History Thomas Cant. Io. Lond. Steph. Winton Io. Exon. Io. Lincoln Io. Bathon Roland Coven Litch Tho. Elien Nic. Sarum Io. Bang Edward Heref. Hugo Wigorn. Io. Roffen Ric. Cicestr Guilielm Norv Guilielm Menevens Rob. Assav Rob. Landav Edoard Ebor. Cuthb Dunelm Rob. Carliolen Richard Wolman Archidiac Sudbur Guil. Knight Archid. Richmon Io. Bell Archid. Gloc. Edmund Bonner Archid. Leicestr Iohn Skip Archid. Dorset Nic. Hethe Archid. Stafford Cuthb Marshal Archid. Nottingham Rich. Curren Archid. Oxon. Gulielm Cliff Galfridus Downes Robertus Oking Radul Bradford Richardus Smith Simon Matthew Ioannes Pryn Guliel Buckmaster Guliel May Nic. Wotton Ric. Coxe Ioannes Edmunds Thomas Robertson Ioannes Baker Thomas Barret Ioannes Hase Ioannes Tyson Sacrae Theologiae Juris Ecclesiastici Civilis Professores In the Year 1543. The same Book was printed again amended much both in Sense and Language yet not having any step in the Progress of the Reformation more than the former each Edition express positively the Corporal Presence in the Sacrament But in this is much added about Free-Will which it asserts and Good Works In 1544 the same was printed again at London in Latin intituled Pia Catholica Christiani Hominis Institutio CHAP. XIV The Arch-bishop visits his Diocess AS soon as this Business was over with the Arch-bishop and Bishops at Lambeth no Parliament sitting this Year and a Plague being in London and Westminster he went down as was said before into his Diocess But before he went he expressed a great desire to wait upon the King being then I suppose at Hampton-Court or Windsor but he feared he should not be permitted coming out of the smoaky Air as he wrote to the Lord Crumwel in that time of Infection Yet he desired to know the King's Pleasure by him He had a mind indeed to leave some good Impressions upon the King's Mind in the behalf of the Book that he and the rest had taken such Pains about and but newly made an end of But whether he saw the King now or no
his Memory famous to Posterity within the Realm among all such as should hereafter be favourers of God's Word and that he should hear of this good Deed of his at the last Day That for his part it was such a content to his Mind that he could not have done him a greater pleasure if he had given him a thousand Pounds And that such Knowledg would ensue hereupon that it should appear he had done excellent Service both to God and the King He also particularly spake of the Bishop of Worcester how highly obliged he was sure he was to him for this But I refer the Reader to his own Letters which follow MY very singular good Lord In my most harty wise I commend me unto your Lordship And whereas I understand that your Lordship at my Request hath not only exhibited the Bible which I sent unto you to the King's Majesty but also hath obtained of his Grace that the same shall be allowed by his Authority to be bought and read within this Realm My Lord for this your Pains taken in this behalf I give you my most hearty Thanks Assuring your Lordship for the Contentation of my Mind you have shewed me more pleasure here than if you had given me a thousand Pounds and I doubt not but that hereby such Fruit of good Knowledg shall ensue that it shall well appear hereafter what high and excellent Service you have done unto God and the King Which shall so much redound to your Honour that besides God's Reward you shall obtain perpetual Memory for the same within this Realm And as for me you may reckon me your Bondman for the same And I dare be bold to say so may ye do my Lord of Worcester Thus my Lord right hartily fare ye well At Ford the xiii day of August Your own Bound-man ever T. Cantuarien And in another Letter fifteen days after he again renewed his Thanks MY very singular and special good Lord In my most harty wise I commend me to your Lordship These shall be to give you most hearty Thanks that any Heart can think and that in the Name of them which favour God's Word for your diligence at this time in procuring the King's Highness to set forth the said God's Word and his Gospel by his Grace's Authority For the which Act not only the King's Majesty but also you shall have a perpetual Laud and Memory of all them that be now â—or hereafter shall be God's faithful People and the Favourers of his Word And this Deed you shall hear of at the Great Day when all things shall be opened and made manifest For our Saviour Christ saith in the said Gospel that whosoever shrinketh from Him and his Word and is abashed to profess and set it forth before Men in this World he will refuse him at that Day And contrary whosoever constantly doth profess Him and his Word and studieth to set that forward in this World Christ will declare the same at the Last Day before his Father and all his Angels and take upon him the Defence of those Men. Now because by these Letters of the Arch-bishop it appears how instrumental Crumwel was when the Bible was printed to procure the setting it forth by the King's Authority I will here relate more at large what Countenance and Assistance he gave to this pious Work all along and those that were concerned and employed in the doing of it The Bible as Fox speaks had been printed in the Year 1532 and reprinted again three or four Years after The Undertakers and Printers were Grafton and Whitchurch who printed it at Hamburgh The Corrector was Iohn Rogers a Learned Divine afterwards a Canon of St. Paul's in King Edward's Time and the first Martyr in the next Reign The Translator was William Tyndal another Learned Martyr with the help of Miles Coverdale after Bishop of Exeter But before all this second Edition was finish'd Tyndal was taken and put to death for his Religion in Flanders in the Year 1536. And his Name then growing into ignominy as one burnt for an Heretick they thought it might prejudice the Book if he should be named for the Translator thereof and so they used a feigned Name calling it Thomas Matthews Bible though Tyndal before his death had finished all but the Apocrypha which was translated by Rogers abovesaid who added also some Marginal Notes In this Bible were certain Prologues and a special Table collected of the common Places in the Bible and Texts of Scripture for proving the same And chiefly the common Places of the Lord's Supper the Marriage of Priests and the Mass. Of which it was there said that it was not to be found in Scripture This Bible giving the Clergy offence was gotten to be restrained Some Years after came forth the Bible aforesaid wherein Cranmer had the great Hand which as I suppose was nothing but the former corrected the Prologues and Table being left out When Grafton had finished this Work and printed off fifteen hundred Bibles at his great Charge amounting to five hundred Pounds a round Sum in those days the Ld. Crumwel desired to have six of his Books Which he forthwith sent by his Servant a clear Man of all suspicion of any Infection coming that day out of Flanders Grafton not adventuring to come himself with the Books because of the Infection at London where he was These Books therefore he sent together with a Letter of Thanks for being so assistant in the publication which as he writ in his Letter the Arch-bishop said the Tidings of did him more good than the Gift of ten thousand Pounds and for procuring the King's Licence which was thought fit to be signified in the Title Page in red Letters thus Set forth by the King 's most gracious Licence But several would not believe the King had licensed it and therefore he desired further of Crumwel that he would get it licensed under the Privy Seal which would be a Defence for the present and for the future But take the Letter as Grafton himself penned it MOST humbly beseeching your Lordship to understand that according to your Request I have sent your Lordship six Bibles which gladly I would have brought my self but because of the Sickness which remaineth in the City and therefore I have sent them by my Servant which this day came out of Flanders Requiring your Lordship if I may be so bold as to desire you to accept them as my simple Gift given to you for those most godly Pains for which the heavenly Father is bound even of his Justice to reward you with the Everlasting Kingdom of God For your Lordship's moving our most gracious Prince to the Allowance and Licensing of such a Work hath wrought such an Act worthy of Praise as never was mentioned in any Chronicle in this Realm and as my Lord of Canterbury said the Tydings thereof did him more good than the gift of 10000 l.
Crumwel speak against it the Reason being no question because they saw the King so resolved upon it Nay it came to be a flying Report that the Arch-bishop of Canterbury himself and all the Bishops except Sarum consented But this is not likely that Cranmer who had so openly and zealously opposed it should be so soon changed and brought to comply with it Nay at the very same time it passed he staid and protested against it though the King desired him to go out since he could not consent to it Worcester also as well as Sarum was committed to Prison and he as well as the other resigned up his Bishoprick upon the Act. In the foresaid Disputation in the Parliament-house the Arch-bishop behaved himself with such humble modesty and obedience in word towards his Prince protesting the Cause not to be his but God's that neither his Enterprize was misliked of the King and his Allegations and Reasons were so strong that they could not be refuted Great pity it is that these Arguments of the Arch-bishop are lost which I suppose they are irrecoverably because Fox that lived so near those Times and so elaborate a Searcher after such Papers could not meet with them and all that he could do was to wish that they were extant to be seen and read However I will make my Conjecture here that I am apt to think that one of the main Matters insisted on by him at this time was against the cruel Penalty annexed to these Articles For I find in one of the Arch-bishop's Manuscript Volumes now in Benet-College Library there is in this very Year a Discourse in Latin upon this Subject Num in haereticos jure Magistratui gravius animadvertere liceat Decisio Vrbani Rhegii Interprete Iacobo Gisleno Anno 1539. Which Book I suppose he might at this juncture have read over and made use of The Dukes and Lords of Parliament that as above was said came over to Lambeth to visit and dine with him by the King's Command used words to him to this Tenor The King's Pleasure is that we should in his behalf cherish and comfort you as one that for your travail in the late Parliament declared your self both greatly Learned and also Discreet and Wise And therefore my Lord be not discouraged for any thing that past there contrary to your Allegations The Arch-bishop replied In the first place my Lords I heartily thank the King's Highness for his singular good Affection towards me and you all for your pains And I hope in God that hereafter my Allegations and Authorities shall take place to the Glory of God and Commodity of the Realm Every of the Lords brought forth his Sentence in commendation of him to shew what good-will both the King and they bare to him One of them entred into a Comparison between the said Arch-bishop and Cardinal Wolsey preferring the Arch-bishop before him for his mild and gentle Nature whereas he said the Cardinal was a stubborn and churlish Prelate that could never abide any Noble-man The Lord Crumwel as Cranmer's Secretary relates who himself heard the words You my Lord said he were born in an happy Hour I suppose for do or say what you will the King will always take it well at your Hands And I must needs confess that in some things I have complained of you to his Majesty but all in vain for he will never give credit against you whatsoever is laid to your Charge But let me or any other of the Council be complained of his Grace will most seriously chide and fall out with us And therefore you are most happy if you can keep you in this State The Roman Zealots having obtained this Act of the Six Articles desisted not but seconded their Blow by a Book of Ceremonies to be used by the Church of England so intituled all running after the old Popish strain It proceeded all along in favour of the Roman Church's superstitious Ceremonies endeavouring to shew the good signification of them The Book first begins with an Index of the Points touched therein viz. Churches and Church-yards the hallowing and reconcileing them The Ceremonies about the Sacrament of Baptism Ordering of the Ministers of the Church in general Divine Service to be sung and said in the Church Mattins Prime and other Hours Ceremonies used in the Mass. Sundays with other Feasts Bells Vesture and Tonsure of the Ministers of the Church and what Service they be bound unto Bearing Candles upon Candlemass-day Fasting Days The giving of Ashes The covering of the Cross and Images in Lent Bearing of Palms The Service of Wednesday Thursday and Friday before Easter The hallowing of Oil and Chrism The washing of the Altars The hallowing of the Font upon Saturday in the Easter-Even The Ceremonies of the Resurrection in Easter-Morning General and other particular Processions Benedictions of Bells or Priests Holy Water and holy Bread A general Doctrine to what intent Ceremonies be ordained and of what value they be The Book it self is too long to be here inserted but such as have the Curiosity may find it in the Cotton Library and may observe what Pains was taken to smooth and varnish over the old Supperstions I do not find this Book mentioned by any of our Historians The Bishop of Winchester with his own Pen hath an Annotation in the Margin of one place in the Book And I strongly suspect he was more than the Revisor of it and that it was drawn up by him and his Party and strongly pushed on to be owned as the Act of the Clergy For this Year there was a Convocation The King had sent his Letters written March the 12 th in the 30 th Year of his Reign viz. 1538. to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury for summoning a Convocation to meet together at St. Paul's the second day of May. But this Assembly by the King's Letters to him was prorogued till November the 4 th At this Convocation I suppose these Articles were invented and propounded to the House All this long Book in behalf of the Ceremonies did our laborious Metropolitan put himself to the pains of answering and thereby hindred the Reception of it For concerning this I do interpret that Passage of Fox viz. That the Arch-bishop confuted eighty eight Articles devised by a Convocation and which were laboured to be received but were not But to return to the six Articles Great triumphing now there was on the Papists Side as appears by a Letter wrote from some Roman Catholick Member of the House of Lords to his Friend Which may be read in the Appendix But after some time the King perceiving that the said Arch-bishop and Bishops did this thing not of Malice or Stubbornness but out of a zeal they had to God's Glory and the Common-wealth reformed in part the said Six Articles and somewhat blunted the Edg of them March 20. Two Commissions were sent to the Arch-bishop to take the Surrender
of two Houses of Religious Persons namely that of Christ's-Church Canterbury and that of Rochester Towards the latter end of this Year several new Bishopricks were founded out of old Monasteries and several Deaneries and Colleges of Prebends out of divers Priories belonging to Cathedral Churches Herein as Crumwel so Cranmer had a great Hand Who laboured with the King that in these New Foundations there should be Readers of Divinity Greek and Hebrew and Students trained up in Religion and Learning From whence as a Nursery the Bishops should supply their Diocesses with honest and able Ministers And so every Bishop should have a College of Clergy-men under his Eye to be preferred according to their Merits For it was our Arch-bishops regret that the Prebendaries were bestowed as they were This Complaint Bishop Burnet tells us he saw in a long Letter of Cranmer's own hand Bishops Confirmed In Arch-bishops Cranmer's Register I find these Bishops Confirmed their Consecrations being omitted August the 11 th Iohn Bell LL. D. brought up in Baliol College and Arch-deacon of Glocester was Confirmed Bishop of Worcester upon the Resignation of Bishop Latimer in the Chappel of Lambeth He is stiled in the Register the King's Chaplain and Councellor November the Iohn Skyp D. D. Arch-deacon of Dorset and once Chaplain to Queen Ann Boleâ— was Confirmed Bishop of Hereford The King's Letter to the Archbishop to consecrate him bears date November 8. CHAP. XX. The Arch-bishop in Commission THE next Year viz. 1540. The Arch-bishop lost his great Friend and Assistant in carrying on the Reformation I mean the Lord Crumwel And when he was by Popish Craft and Malice taken off their next Work was to sacrifice Cranmer And many were the Accusations that were put up against him and Trial was made many ways to bring him to his Death or at least to bring him in disgrace with the King And first they thought to compass their Ends against him by occasion of a Commission now issued out from the King to a select Number of Bishops whereof the Arch-bishop was one which Commission was confirmed by Act of Parliament for inspecting into Matters of Religion and explaining some of the chief Doctrines of it These Commissioners had drawn up a set of Articles favouring the old Popish Superstitions And meeting together at Lambeth they produced them and vehemently urged that they should be established and that the Arch-bishop would yield to the Allowance of them especially seeing there was a signification that it was the King's Will and Pleasure that the Articles should run in that Tenour But they could not win the Arch-bishop neither by Fear nor Flattery No though the Lord Crumwel at this very time lay in the Tower There was not one Commissioner now on his part but all shrank away and complied with the Time and even those he most trusted to viz. Bishop Hethe of Rochester and Bishop Skip of Hereford The Arch-bishop as he disliked the Book already drawn up by them so he presented another Book wherein were divers Amendments of theirs After much arguing and disputing nor could the Arch-bishop be brought off Hethe and Skip with a Friend or two more walked down with him into his Garden at Lambeth and there used all the Perswasion they could urging to him that the King was resolved to have iâ— so and the Danger therefore of opposing it But he honestly persisted in his constancy telling them That there was but one Truth in the Articles to be concluded upon which if they hid from his Majesty by consenting unto a contrary Doctrine his Highness would in process of Time perceive the Truth and see how colorably they had delt with him And he knew he said his Grace's Nature so well that he would never after credit and trust them And they being both his Friends he bad them beware in time and discharge their Consciences in maintenance of the Truth But though nothing of all this could stir them yet what he said sufficiently confirmed the Arch-bishop to persist in his Resolution The Arch-bishop standing thus alone went himself to the King and so wrought with him that his Majesty joined with him against all the rest of them and the Book of Articles past on his side When indeed this stifness of Canterbury was the very thing his Enemies desired thinking that for this Opposition the King would certainly have thrown him into the Tower and many Wagers were laid in London about it So that this ended in two good Issues that the Arch-bishop's Enemies were clothed with Shame and Disappointment and a very good Book chiefly of the Arch-bishop's composing came forth for the Instruction of the People known by the Name of A necessary Erudition of any Christian Man A particular Account whereof may be read in the History of the Reformation This vexed Winchester to the Heart that his Plot took no better Effect but he put it up till he should find other Opportunities to attack him which after happened as we shall see in the sequel of this Story But this Matter deserves to be a little more particularly treated of The King had as was said before appointed several of the Eminent Divines of his Realm to deliberate about sundry Points of Religion then in Controversy and to give in their Sentences distinctly And that in regard of the Germans who the last Year had sent over in Writing the Judgment of their Divines respecting some Articles of Religion and had offered his Majesty to appoint some of their Divines to meet some others of the King 's in any Place he should assign or to come over into England to confeâ— together And also in regard of a more exact review of the Institution of a Christian Man put forth about two or three Years before and now intended to be published again as a more perfect Piece of Religious Instruction for the People The King therefore being minded thorowly to sift divers Points of Religion then started and much controverted commanded a particular number of Bishops and other his Learned Chaplains and Dignitaries to compare the Rites and Ceremonies and Tenets of the present Church by the Scriptures and by the most Ancient Writers and to see how far the Scripture or good Antiquity did allow of the same And this I suppose he did by the instigation of Arch-bishop Cranmer The Names of the Commissioners were these Cranmer ABp of Canterbury Lee ABp of York Boner Bishop of London Tunstal Bishop of Durham Barlow Bishop of S. David's Aldrich Bishop of Carlisle Skyp Bishop of Hereford Hethe Bishop of Rochester Thirleby Bishop Elect of Westminster Doctors Cox Robinson Day Oglethorp Redman Edgeworth Symonds Tresham Leyghton Curwen Crayford Where we may wonder not to see the Name of the Bishop of Winton But if we consider the Reason the King gave why he left him out of the Number of his Executors viz. because as he told several
bandying against one another and what good Progress the Gospel did begin to make and what good Numbers of Priests and Lay-men there were that savoured of the Gospel-Doctrine Sir Humphrey Chirden Parson of S. Elphins on a Sunday in Lent said If Iudas had gone to God and confessed his Fault saying Peccavi as he went unto the Priests he had not been damned This Passage was plain enough levelled against confessing to a Priest But this was presentable because against the Six Articles One Lancaster the Parson of Pluckley was presented because that when one Giles said That he blessed himself daily and nightly saying In nomine Patris Filii Sp. Sancti and then said In the Honour of God and our Lady and all the company of Heaven and for all Christen Souls that God would have prayed for a Pater-noster an Ave and a Creed the said Parson said to him That if he knew it of Truth that the said Giles used the same form of Prayer he would not accompany him nor once drink with him Vincent Ingeam a Justice of Peace I suppose commanded on Easter Munday 33 o of the King that no Man should read or hear the Bible read upon pain of Imprisonment and cast two into Prison the one for speaking against him therein and the other for showing him the King's Injunctions concerning the same He repugned against the Doings of the Commissary for taking down the Image of S. Iohn by the King's Commandment Where I find among other witnesses to this one Daniel Cranmer a Relation doubtless of the Arch-bishop Sir Thomas Curate of Sholden and Thomas Sawier set up again four Images which by the King's Commandment were taken down for Abuses by Pilgrimages and Offerings viz. S. Nicolas S. Stephen S. Laurence and our Lady Another accused for forsaking his own Parish-Church at the time of Easter two Years together not liking his Parish-Priest for his affection to the Gospel and for going to Walsingham in Pilgrimage and that he would at no time shew to the Vicar a lawful Certificate that he had received the Blessed Sacrament at the time commonly accustomed as a Christen Man ought to do And obstinately refused to learn his Pater Noster Ave Credo and Ten Commandments in English according to the King's Injunctions Sir Edward Sponer Vicar of Boughton had not declared to his Parishioners the right use of Ceremonies neither shewed the difference between them and Works commanded by God as he is commanded by the King's Proclamation He had not preached against the Bishop of Rome his usurped Power and set forth the King's Supremacy as he is bound by the King's Injunctions and other his Proceedings He hath not preached his Quarters Sermons neither at Boughton nor at his Benefice in the Mersh He never declared that the Even of such Saints whose Days be abrogated be no Fasting-days The Arch-deacon of Canterbury that was Edmund the Archbishop's Brother the morrow after the Ascension was three Years took out of the Church of S. Andrews in Canterbury three lamp Tapers brenning before the Sacrament and a Coat from a Rood and did violently break the Arms and Legs of the Rood Sir William Kemp Vicar of Northgate had not read the Bible since Pentecost as he was commanded by the Ordinary He doth not declare to his Parishioners the right use of Holy Water Holy Bread bearing of Candles upon Candlemassday giving of Ashes bearing of Palms creeping to the Cross. For lack wherof the most part of the said Parish be as ignorant in such things as ever they were And many of them do abuse Holy Water insomuch that against Tempests of Thunder and Lightning many run to the Church for Holy Water to cast about their Houses to drive away Evil Spirits and Devils notwithstanding the King's Proclamations in the same He hath not read to them the King's Injunctions as he ought to do by reason whereof his Parish be blind and ignorant in them Bartholomew Ioy confessed to his Curate in general saying I am a Sinner And when the Vicar asked him wherein he had sinned he answered that he had confessed himself to the Lord already and that he would make none other Confession at that time and so departed Iohn Tofts Christopher Levenysh Bartholomew Ioy in the 30 th of the King pulled down all the Pictures in the Church of Northgate in Canterbury except only the Rood Mary and Iohn the Twelve Apostles the Picture of our Lady and S. Iohn Baptist. And in the thirty fourth of the King Tofts pulled down the Picture of our Lady and had her and the Tabernacle home to his House and there did hew her all to Pieces And at another time the same Tofts openly with a loud Voice read the Bible in English in the Church to his Wife Sterkies Wife George Tofts Wife to the Midwife of the same Parish and to as many others as then were present Ioanna Meriwether of S. Mildreds Parish for displeasure that she bare towards a young Maid named Elizabeth Celsay and her Mother made a Fire upon the Dung of the said Elizabeth and took a holy Candle and dropt upon the said Dung And she told unto her Neighbours that the said Enchantment would make the Cule of the said Maid to divide into two parts Rafe the Bell-ringer of Christ-Church at the Burial of Dr. Champion the Arch-bishop's Chaplain after the Priest had censed his Grave and a Boy was bearing away the Censers and the Coals called after the Boy and took the Censers and poured the hot Coals upon him in his Grave to the great slander of the said Dr. Champion as though he had been an Heretic worthy burning Also he said the King was content that all Images should be honoured as they were wont to be Coxson Petty Canon of Christ-Church made his Testament by the advice of Mr. Parkhurst Mr. Sandwich and Mr. Mills Canons of the said Church and gave and bequeathed to every Vicar of Christ-Church twenty Pence that had a pair of Beads and would say our Lady Psalter for his Soul departed And this was executed according to the Will The Parson of Alyngton never preached in the Church of Alyngton nor declared against the usurped Power of the Bishop of Rome nor set forth the King's Supremacy according to the King's Proclamations Letters and Injunctions He hath been a great setter forth in his Parish of the Maid of Kent Pilgrimages fained Relicks and other such Superstitions and yet never recanted and reproved the same according to the King's Majesty's Injunctions He hath not declared to his Parishioners that the Eves of such Holy-days as be abrogate be no Fasting-days according to the King's Injunctions So upon the Sundays Candlemass-day Ash-wednesday Palm-Sunday and Good-Friday he hath not declared the true use of the Ceremonies used those Days according to the King's Proclamation The Curate of Stodmersh did dissuade Men from eating of White-meats the last Lent and rebuked them that did eat
ever they did These Reports were digested into two or three Books Serles brought up some of the Articles roughly drawn to London and London transcribed them and brought them to the Bishop of Winchester and there they were copied out by German Gardiner his Secretary another busy Man Gardiner the Prebendary by this time had gotten a Book of Articles signed by the rest of the Prebendaries and Willoughby brought them up some of the Prebendaries coming up too being about to be the Presenters of the Book themselves Winchester and Baker Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations gave the said Prebendaries encouragement to proceed in what they went about And busy London to make the Articles the better entertained when they should be presented to the Council had officiously shewn the Copy of them to several of the said Council before-hand I must here give this further note concerning Serles that he was so zealous a Man that he had the Year before put up to the Council Articles against the Preachers of the Gospel But they were such that the Council thought not fit the King should see them Which he complained of and it seems at his return was clapt up in Prison for his pains for some either malicious Insinuations or irregular Practices herein Shether was another of the Gang and one of the forwardest in this invidious Business against the innocent Arch-bishop He was one of those that came up to London to present the Bill It may be guessed what a hot-headed Man he was by a passage we meet with concerning him when he was Proctor at Oxford in the Year 1535. In which Year he made such a Combustion betwixt the University and the Towns-men that they being enraged against him he went in danger of his Life So that he and his Company were fain to go armed when they went abroad And when he was out of his Proctorship the University allowed him to defend himself from the Towns-men at the University Charge if he should be set upon by them This Shether brought up also his Collections to one Ford his Brother-in-Law to write them out which amounted to a great Book of two days Labour For they were resolved to have enough and to make out in Bulk what was wanting in Truth Take an hint or two here of Gardiner Bishop of Winchester the secret Machine in all this ingrateful Work Coming once from the Council that then was beyond the Sea at Calais about the time of the Breach with France he after hearing Mass at the Cathedral Church at Canterbury took his Name-sake Gardiner the Prebendary by the Hand and asked him how he did and how they did in Canterbury meaning in relation to Religion professed in the City And when Gardiner answered But meetly he enquired How they did within the House among themselves with relation to the Church-men belonging to it He told him That they did not agree all in Preaching So do I hear said Winchester Then he asked wherein they did not agree Gardiner then repeated somewhat of Ridley's and Scory's Sermons and this among other things That Prayer ought to be made in a Tongue known and not in a Tongue unknown for so it were but babling Winchester then said He missed For the Germans themselves are now against that saying Well said he this is not well My Lord of Canterbury will look after this I doubt not or else such Preaching will grow unto an evil Inconvenience I know well he will see Remedy for it Well how do you do with them Gardiner replied My Lord Hardly I am much marked in my Sermons And I cannot tell whether I be taken or no. I pray your good Lordship of your Counsel what were best for me to do I had rather leave Preaching betimes than to be taken in my Sermons Then said Winchester Do thus Write your Sermons into a Book every word as you will preach it and when you go into the Pulpit deliver your Book unto the chiefest Man there that can read and let him take heed of your Book while you do preach and say no more but that you have written and studied for And I warrant you you shall do well enough And when you do hear any Man preach any otherwise then well hold you contented and meddle not so shall you do best Then he past forth his time in Communication concerning the Ordinances of their Choir their Statutes their Masses and Hours of them And at the last sent for Ridley the Prebendary and had some conference with him but what it is uncertain The bulky Articles being at last hammered out and made ready London now required Willoughby to deliver them to the Council which he would fain have shrunk from He then charged him upon his Allegiance to go with him to the Council-Chamber-Door meaning to have him into the Council Having gotten him there he went in and informed some of the Privy-Council and Friends I suppose to the Matter that Dr. Willoughby was without desiring he might be called in Willoughby was before instructed by London to use words to the Council to this Tenor when he should deliver his Articles viz. That the King and they had been at great Charges and taken great Pains to set a good and godly Way among them meaning the Statute of the Six Articles And for all that they had with them in Kent the most enormous Heresies And because he heard that it was the King's Will and Pleasure that every Man on pain of his Allegiance should bring in what he knew or else if he knew and did conceal it it should be his damage therefore in discharge of his Duty he came to tender that Bill of Articles But this Speech was not delivered that Day the Council not being at leisure And lest some People knowing the pragmatical temper of London might be jealous what he did at the Court and suspect it was for no Good to the Professors of the Gospel it was studiously given out that he was there for some Promotion from the King The next day the sedulous Man carried Willoughby to the Lord Privy-Seal Lord Russel if I mistake not with his Articles but neither would my Lord-Privy-Seal see them having no leisure as he pretended I suppose because he liked them not and loved my Lord of Canterbury The Day after London carried him to the Bishop of Winchester Into whom he went and tarried an Hour carrying in the Copy of the Articles In which time no question the Bishop and his trusty Substitute contrived for the managing of the Matter Soon after Willoughby being with Winchester and desiring him That he might not be put to present the Articles not being able to testify to the Truth of them Winchester bade him Fear not to do his Duty and that if the Matter were not to be abidden by the Doers should bear the blame and not the Presenter And that it was all our Duties to stand in such things
your Face No not so my Lord said the King I have better regard unto you than to permit your Enemies so to overthrow you And therefore I will have you to Morrow come to the Council which no doubt will send for you And when they break this Matter unto you require them that being one of them you may have so much Favour as they would have themselves that is to have your Accusers brought before you And if they stand with you without regard of your Allegations and will in no Condition condescend unto your Request but will needs commit you to the Tower then appeal you from them to our Person and give to them this my Ring which he then delivered unto the Arch-bishop by the which said the King they shall well understand that I have taken your Cause into my Hand from them Which Ring they well know that I use it for no other Purpose but to call Matters from the Council into mine own Hands to be ordered and determined And with this good Advice Cranmer after most humble Thanks departed from the King's Majesty The next Morning according to the King's Monition and his own Expectation the Council sent for him by Eight of the Clock in the Morning And when he came to the Council-Chamber-Door he was not permitted to enter into the Council-Chamber but stood without among Serving-men and Lacquies above three quarters of an hour many Counsellors and others going in and out The Matter seemed strange unto his Secretary who then attended upon him which made him slip away to Dr. Butts to whom he related the manner of the thing Who by and by came and kept my Lord Company And yet e're he was called into the Council Dr. Butts went to the King and told him that he had seen a strange Sight What is that said the King Marry said he my Lord of Canterbury is become a Lacquey or a Serving-man For to my knowledg he hath stood among them this hour almost at the Council-Chamber-Door Have they served my Lord so It is well enough said the King I shall talk with them by and by Anon Cranmer was called into the Council there it was declared unto him That a great Complaint was made of him both to the King and to them That he and others by his Permission had infected the whole Realm with Heresy And therefore it was the King's Pleasure that they should commit him to the Tower and there for his Trial to be examined Cranmer required as is before declared with many both Reasons and Perswasions that he might have his Accusers come there before them before they used any further Extremity against him In fine there was no Intreaty could serve but that he must needs depart to the Tower I am sorry my Lords said Cranmer that you drive me unto this Exigent to appeal from you to the King's Majesty who by this Token hath resumed this Matter into his own Hand and dischargeth you thereof And so delivered the King's Ring unto them By and by the Lord Russel swore a great Oath and said Did not I tell you my Lords what would come of this Matter I know right well that the King would never permit my Lord of Canterbury to have such a Blemish as to be imprisoned unless it were for High-Treason And so as the manner was when they had once received that Ring they left off their Matter and went all unto the King's Person both with his Token and the Cause When they came unto his Highness the King said unto them Ah my Lords I thought that I had had a discreet and wise Council but now I perceive that I am deceived How have you handled here my Lord of Canterbury What make ye of him A Slave Shutting him out of the Council-Chamber among Serving-men Would ye be so handled your selves And after such taunting words as these spoken the King added I would you should well understand that I account my Lord of Canterbury as faithful a Man towards me as ever was Prelate in this Realm and one to whom I am many ways beholden by the Faith I owe unto God and so laid his Hand upon his Breast And therefore who loveth me said he will upon that Account regard him And with these words all and especially my Lord of Norfolk answered and said We meant no manner of Hurt unto my Lord of Canterbury that we requested to have him in Durance Which we only did because he might after his Trial be set at Liberty to his greater Glory Well said the King I pray you use not my Friends so I perceive now well enough how the World goeth among you There remaineth Malice among you one to another let it be avoided out of hand I would advise you And so the King departed and the Lords shook Hands every Man with the Arch-bishop Against whom never more after durst any Man spurn during King Henry's Life And because the King would have Love always nourished between the Lords of the Council and the Arch-bishop he would send them divers times to Dinner with him And so he did after this Reconciliation Thus did the King interpose himself divers times between his Arch-bishop and his irreconcileable Enemies the Papists and observing by these Essays against him under what Perils he was like to come hereafter for his Religion about this Time it was as I conjecture that the King changed his Coat of Arms. For unto the Year 1543 he bore his Paternal Coat of Three Cranes Sable as I find by a Date set under his Arms yet remaining in a Window in Lambeth-House For it is to be noted That the King perceiving how much ado Cranmer would have in the Defence of his Religion altered the Three Cranes which were parcel of his Ancestors Arms into Three Pelicans declaring unto him That those Birds should signify unto him that he ought to be ready as the Pelican is to shed his Blood for his young Ones brought up in the Faith of Christ. For said the King you are like to be tasted if you stand to your Tackling at length As in very deed many and sundry times he was shouldered at both in this King's Reign as you have heard and under the two succeding Princes CHAP. XXIX Occasional Prayers and Suffrages OCcasional Prayers and Suffrages to be used throughout all Churches began now to be more usual than formerly For these common Devotions were twice this Year appointed by Authority as they had been once the last which I look upon the Arch-bishop to be the great Instrument in procuring That he might by this means by little and little bring into use Prayer in the English Tongue which he so much desired and that the People by understanding part of their Prayers might be the more desirous to have their whole Service rendred intelligible whereby God might be served with the more Seriousness and true Devotion The last Year there was a plentiful Crop upon the Ground
made of seven steps of height all round where the King's Majesty's Chair Royal stood and he sat therein after he was crowned all the Mass-while Fourthly At nine of the Clock all Westminster Choire was in their Copes and three goodly Crosses before them and after them other three goodly rich Crosses and the King's Chappel with his Children following all in Scarlet with Surplices and Copes on their Backs And after them ten Bishops in Scarlet with their Rochets and rich Copes on their Backs and their Mitres on their Heads did set forth at the West Door of Westminster towards the King's Palace there to receive his Grace and my Lord of Canterbury with his Cross before him alone and his Mitre on his Head And so past forth in order as before is said And within a certain space after were certain blew Cloths laid abroad in the Church-floor against the King's coming and so all the Palace even to York place Then is described the setting forward to Westminster Church to his Coronation Unction and Confirmation After all the Lords in order had kneeled down and kiss'd his Grace's right Foot and after held their Hands between his Grace's Hands and kiss'd his Grace's left Cheek and so did their Homage Then began a Mass of the Holy Ghost by my Lord of Canterbury with good singing in the Choire and Organs playing There at Offering time his Grace offered to the Altar a Pound of Gold a Loaf of Bread and a Chalice of Wine Then after the Levation of the Mass there was read by my Lord Chancellor in presence of all the Nobles a General Pardon granted by King Henry the Eighth Father to our Liege Lord the King that all shall be pardoned that have offended before the 28 th day of Ianuary last past When the King's Majesty with his Nobles came to the Place of the Coronation within a while after his Grace was removed into a Chair of Crimson Velvet and born in the Chair between two Noblemen unto the North-side of the Stage and shewed to the People and these words spoken to the People by my Lord of Canterbury in this manner saying Sirs here I present unto you K. Edward the rightful Inheritor to the Crown of this Realm Wherefore all ye that be come this Day to do your Homage Service and bounden Duty Be ye willing to do the same To the which all the People cried with a loud Voice and said Yea Yea Yea and cried King Edward and prayed God save King Edward And so to the South-side in like manner and to the East-side and to the West-side After this his Grace was born again to the high Altar in his Chair and there sat bare-headed And all his Nobles and Peers of the Realm were about his Grace and my Lord of Canterbury Principal And there made certain Prayers and Godly Psalms over his Grace and the Choire answered with goodly Singing the Organs playing and Trumpets blowing Then after a certain Unction Blessing and Signing of his Grace he was born into a Place by the high Altar where the Kings use always to kneel at the Levation of the Parliament-Mass And there his Grace was made ready of new Garments and after a certain space brought forth between two Noble-men and sat before the High Altar bare-headed Then after a while his Grace was anointed in the Breast his Soles of his Feet his Elbows his Wrists of his Hands and his Crown of his Head with vertuous Prayer said by the Bishop of Canterbury and sung by the Choire Then anon after this a goodly fair Cloth of red Tinsel Gold was hung over his Head And my Lord of Canterbury kneeling on his Knees and his Grace lying prostrate afore the Altar anointed his Back Then after this my Lord of Canterbury arose and stood up and the fair Cloth taken away Then my Lord Protector Duke of Somerset held the Crown in his Hand a certain space and immediately after began Te Deum with the Organs going the Choire singing and the Trumpets playing in the Battlements of the Church Then immediately after that was the Crown set on the King's Majesty's Head by them two viz. Somerset and the Arch-bishop of Canterbury And after that another Crown and so his Grace was crowned with three Crowns The Relation breaks off here abruptly But what is wanting may be supplied by the Order of the Coronation as Bishop Burnet hath taken it out of the Council-Book and given it us in his History At this Coronation there was no Sermon as I can find but that was supplied by an excellent Speech which was made by the Arch-bishop It was found among the inestimable Collections of Arch-bishop Vsher and though published of late Years yet I cannot but insert it here tending so much to illustrate the Memory of this great and good Arch-bishop MOST Dread and Royal Soveraign The Promises your Highness hath made here at your Coronation to forsake the Devil and all his Works are not to be taken in the Bishop of Rome's Sense when you commit any thing distastful to that See to hit your Majesty in the Teeth as Pope Paul the Third late Bishop of Rome sent to your Royal Father saying Didst thou not promise at our permission of thy Coronation to forsake the Devil and all his Works and dost thou run to Heresy For the Breach of this thy Promise knowest thou not that 't is in our Power to dispose of thy Sword and Scepter to whom we please We your Majesty's Clergy do humbly conceive that this Promise reacheth not at your Highness Sword Spiritual or Temporal or in the least at your Highness swaying the Scepter of this your Dominion as you and your Predecessors have had them from God Neither could your Ancestors lawfully resign up their Crowns to the Bishop of Rome or his Legats according to their ancient Oaths then taken upon that Ceremony The Bishops of Canterbury for the most part have crowned your Predecessors and anointed them Kings of this Land Yet it was not in their Power to receive or reject them neither did it give them Authority to prescribe them Conditions to take or to leave their Crowns although the Bishops of Rome would encroach upon your Predecessors by their Act and Oil that in the end they might possess those Bishops with an Interest to dispose of their Crowns at their Pleasure But the wiser sort will look to their Claws and clip them The solemn Rites of Coronation have their Ends and Utility yet neither direct Force or Necessity They be good Admonitions to put Kings in mind of their Duty to God but no encreasement of their Dignity For they be God's Anointed not in respect of the Oil which the Bishop useth but in consideration of their Power which is Ordained Of the Sword which is Authorized Of their Persons which are elected of God and endued with the Gifts of his Spirit for the better ruling and guiding of his People The Oil if added
that the Protector was privy to what was done there The Bishop answered That he would receive them as far as God's Law and the King's would bind him And because he saw they drew to such Preciseness he told them there were three Weeks of Delay to the coming of the Visitors to him In the mean time he offered to go to Oxford to abide the Discussion there That Offer was not allowed He desired to go to his House at London and have Learned Men speak with him there That was not accepted He entred then the Allegation of the Gospel of the Servant that said he would not do a thing and yet did it And so the Bishop said it might be that although he then said Nay as his Conscience served him yet he might change and was a Man that might be tempted But as his Conscience was then he thought that God's Laws and the King 's letted him Then they asked him if he had spoken to any Man of what he found in the Books To which he answered truly acknowledging he had But told the Lords that he thought it hard unless there were a greater Matter than this to send him to Prison for declaring his Mind before-hand what he minded to do before it had been by him done who had all the mean time to repent himself In the End the Council committed him to the Fleet. Of his Behaviour under this Censure he hath these words That he had well digested it and so all might be well he cared not what became of his Body That he departed as quietly from them as ever Man did and had endured with as little grudg He had learned this Lesson in the World never to look backward as S. Paul saith ne remember that is past That he would never grudg or complain of any thing for himself To the Lord Protector to whom he wrote all this Account of himself turning his Discourse he said That he thought it very weighty to have these Books recommended to the Realm in the King's Name by his the Protector Direction since the King himself knew nothing of them and therefore nothing could be ascribed to him And his Grace had been so occupied as all Men knew that he had no leisure to peruse them And yet of such sort were the Books according to the Account he had before written and that if no Man had advertised the Council as he had it was because they had not read them as he had done In Vindication of the Learned Author of the Paraphrase so bedashed by Winchester I will here use the words of him that writ the Epistle Dedicatory before the translated Paraphrase on the Acts. I cannot but judg that whoso are prompt and hasty Condemners of Erasmus or eager Adversaries unto his Doctrine do under the Name and Colour of Erasmus rather utter their Stomach and Hatred against God's Word and the Grace of the Gospel which Erasmus for his part most diligently and most simply laboureth to bring to light And to such as said that his Doctrine was scarcely sincere and that he did somewhat err he answered That Erasmus forasmuch as he was a Man and so esteemed himself would that his Works should none otherwise be read or accepted than the Writings of other mortal Men. And that after his Judgment a little Trip among so many notable good Works for the interpretation of Scripture and for the help of the Simple should rather be born withal than so many good Things to be either rejected or kept away from the hungry Christian Reader It is a cold Charity that can bear with nothing and an eager Malice it is that for a Trifle or a Matter of nothing would have the Ignorant to lack so much good edifying as may be taken of Erasmus Mention was made a little above of the Bishop of Winchester's Objections aganst the Paraphrase of Erasmus sent by him in a Letter to the Lord Protector This Paper I have met with in Sir Iohn Cotton's Library and being somewhat long I have put it into the Appendix Wherein may be seen at large the Bishop's Quarrels both against the Paraphrase and the Homilies labouring here to shew that the Book of Homilies and Erasmus's Paraphrase did contradict each other and therefore could not both be received and that there were Errors in each and so neither ought to be admitted Moreover he urged the Danger of making Alterations in Religion contrary to the Laws then in Force designing thereby if he could over-perswade the Protector to enervate the King 's late Injunctions For the Papists whose chief Instrument was VVinchester saw it was time now to bestir themselves to overthrow these Proceedings that were in hand if it were possible When this Affair happened between the Council and the Bishop for which they cast him into the Fleet Somerset the Protector was absent in an Expedition against the Scots By whose Conduct in the Month of September God blessed the King with a very glorious Victory in a Battel fought near Musselburrough Which redounded much to the Protector 's Honour wherein was more Danger than he looked for which gave him the greater occasion to shew his Valour For there were but few lost on the English-side but fifteen thousand Scots reckoned to be slain and two thousand taken Prisoners For this Victory a Publick Thanksgiving was thought fit to be Celebrated And the Arch-bishop required of the Bishop of London to procure a Sermon at S. Pauls before the Mayor and Aldermen and immediately after a Procession in English and Te Deum The Arch-bishop's Letter which will shew what the Court thought of that good Success was as followeth AFter our right hearty Commendations Whereas it hath pleased Almighty God to send the King's Majesty such Victory against the Scots as was almost above the Expectation of Man and such as hath not been heard of in any part of Christendom this many Years In which Victory above the Number of 15000 Scots be slain 2000 taken Prisoners and among them many Noble-men and others of good Reputation all their Ordnance and Baggage of their Camp also won from them The King's Majesty with Advice of his Highness Privy-Council presently attending upon his Majesty's most Royal Person well-knowing this as all other Goodness to be Gifts of God hath and so doth account it And therefore rendereth unto him the only Glory and Praise for the same And so hath willed me not only in his Majesty's Cathedral Church and other Churches of my Diocess to give Thanks to Almighty God but also to require in his Name all other Bishops in the Province of Canterbury to do or cause to be done semblably in their Course Which his Majesty's Pleasure I have thought good to signify unto you Requiring you not only to cause a Sermon to be made in your Cathedral Church the next Holy-day after receipt hereof declaring the Goodness of God and exhorting the People to Faith and amendment of
appear there before the Arch-bishop Where Iohn Whitwel the Arch-bishop's Almoner and Thomas Langley both Priests and his Grace's Chaplains exhibited a Schedule of divers Heresies and damned Opinions against the said Assheton Which are recited in the Abjuration which he made The Tenor whereof is as followeth In the Name of God Amen Before you most Learned Father in God Thomas Arch-bishop Primate and Metropolitan of all England Commissary of our most dread Soveraign Lord and excellent Prince Edward VI by the Grace of God c. I Iohn Assheton Priest of my pure Heart Free-will voluntary and sincere Knowledg confess and openly recognize that in Times past I thought believed said heard and affirmed these Errors Heresies and damnable Opinions following that is to say 1. That the Trinity of Persons was established by the Confession of Athanasius declared by a Psalm Quicunque vult c. And that the Holy Ghost is not God but only a certain Power of the Father 2. That Iesus Christ that was conceived of the Virgin Mary was a holy Prophet and especially beloved of God the Father but that he was not the true and living God Forasmuch as he was seen and lived hungred and thirsted 3. That this only is the Fruit of Iesus Christ's Passion that whereas we were strangers from God and had no knowledg of his Testament it pleased God by Christ to bring us to the acknowledging of his holy Power by the Testament Wherefore I the said Iohn Assheton detesting and abhorring all and every my said Errors Heresies and damned Opinions willingly and with all my Power affecting hereafter firmly to believe in the true and perfect Faith of Christ and his Holy Church purposing to follow the true and sincere Doctrine of holy Church with a pure and free Heart voluntarily mind will and intend utterly to forsake relinquish renounce and despise the said detestable Errors Heresies and abominable Opinions Granting and confessing now 1. That the blessed Trinity consisteth in Three distinct Persons and one Godhead as God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost coequal in Power and Might 2. That Jesus Christ is both God and Man after his holy Nature eternally begotten of his Father of his own Substance and in his Humanity was conceived by the Holy Ghost incarnate and for our Redemption being very God became Man 3. That by the Death of Iesus Christ we be not only made Partakers of the Testament and so disposed to the Knowledg of his godly Will and Power but also that we have full Redemption and Remission of our Sins in his Blood Then he subscribed his Hand to this Confession before the Arch-bishop exhibiting it for his Act and lifting up his Hand beseeched his Grace to deal mercifully and graciously with him and touching the Gospel gave his Faith that he would faithfully and humbly obey the Commands of the Holy Mother-Church and whatsoever Penance the said most Reverend Father should lay upon him To these erroneous Doctrines we must add others that now also spread themselves As that Christ took not Flesh of the Virgin That the Baptism of Infants was not profitable Of which Error one Michael Thombe of London Butcher recanted the Year following viz. 1549 May 11. having been then convented before the Arch-bishop at Lambeth I Michael Thombe of London Bocher of my pure Heart and free Will voluntarily and sincerely acknowledg and confess and openly recognize that in times past I thought believed said heard and affirmed these Errors and Heresies and damnable Opinions following that is to say That Christ took no Flesh of our Lady and that the Baptism of Infants is not profitable because it goeth before Faith Wherefore I the said Michael Thombe detesting and abhorring all and every such my said Errors Heresies and damned Opinions and with all my Power affecting hereafter firmly to believe in the true and perfect Faith of Christ and of the Holy Church purposing to follow the true and sincere Doctrine of Holy Church with a pure and free Heart voluntarily mind will and intend utterly to forsake relinquish renounce and despise the said detestable Errors Heresies and damnable Opinions granting and confessing now That Christ took Flesh of the Virgin Mary and that the Baptism of Infants is profitable and necessary And by this Submission and Penance doing Thombe escaped But another of the same Opinion more obstinate came to a sadder End and was Burnt namely Ioan Bocher or Ioan of Kent Her Opinion is in the Instrument drawn up against her in the ABp's Register Which ran thus That you believe that the Word was made Flesh in the Virgin 's Belly but that Christ took Flesh of the Virgin you believe not because the Flesh of the Virgin being the outward Man was sinfully gotten and born in Sin But the Word by the Consent of the inward Man of the Virgin was made Flesh. This she stood perversely in So the Arch-bishop himself excommunicated her judicially the Sentence being read by him April 1549 in S. Mary's Chappel within the Cathedral Church of Pauls Sir Thomas Smith William Cook Dean of the Arches Hugh Latimer Richard Lyell LL. D. the King's Commissioners assisting She was committed afterwards to the Secular Arm and certified so to be by an Instrument made by the Commissioners to the King After she was condemned she was a Sevennight in the Lord Chancellor Rich his House and every day the Arch-bishop and Bishop Ridley came and reasoned with her that if possible they might save her from the Fire But nothing would do I will here produce Latimer's Censure of her who well knew her Case being one of the Commissioners that sat upon her She would say saith he in his Sermon on S. Iohn Evangelist's Day That our Saviour was not very Man nor had received Flesh of his Mother Mary And yet she could shew no reason why she should believe so Her Opinion was this The Son of God said she penetrated through her as through a Glass taking no Substance of her This foolish Woman denied the common Creed Natus ex Maria Virgine and said that our Saviour had a fantastical Body A Dutch Man an Arian named George van Paris denying Christ to be true God came to a like End with Ioan namely that of burning to Death being condemned for Heresy that was in the Year 1551. But tho I make some Anticipation in my History yet I do it that I may lay these Heresies here together that started up or rather shewed themselves more visibly in this Reign CHAP. IX The Arch-bishop Visits THE Arch-bishop in this Year held a Visitation in divers Places throughout his Diocess Wherein enquiry was to be made concerning the Behaviour both of the Priests and the People in eighty six Articles Whereby may be seen the Arch-bishop's conscientious Care and Solicitude for the abrogating of Superstition and the promoting of true Religion That he might reduce the Clergy to Learning
Young Chaunter after Arch-bishop of York who pulled down the great Hall in the Palace there for lucre of the Lead and Rowland Mericâ— one of the Canons after Bishop of the said See of S. Davids and Father to Sir Gilly Merick that came to an untimely Death by being in the Business of the Earl of Essex These two having been before Commissaries of this Diocess had spoiled the Cathedral Church of Crosses Chalices and Censors with other Plate Jewels and Ornaments to the value of five hundred Marks or more and converted them to their own private Benefit and had sealed many Blanks Sede Vacante without the King's Licence or Knowledg Whereupon the Bishop issued out his Commission to his Chancellor for visiting the Chapter as well as the rest of the Diocess But the Commission was it seems drawn up amiss by the said Chancellor to whom the Bishop left the forming the Draught For it ran in the old Popish Form and so the King's Supremacy not sufficiently acknowledged therein though he professed to visit in the King's Name and Authority This these two in Combination with his own ingrateful Register George Constantine whom he had preferred took their Advantage of not only to disobey the said Commission but to accuse the poor Bishop of a Praemunire For which he was sain to go down from London whither they had before brought him up to answer at the Assizes of Carmarthen And when by reason of the Molestations they gave him and their detaining him in London he could not be so exact in paying in the Tenths and First-Fruits and Subsidies due from the Clergy of his Diocess they took hold of this as another Crime to lay to his Charge And hereupon in fine he was kept in Prison a long time and so remained when Queen Mary entred upon the Government Upon which Occasion he fell into the Hands of the Pope's Butchers Who at last for maintaining the Truth sent him into his Diocess and burnt him at a Stake And thus these Men became the Instruments of his Death In their vexatious Suits against this good Bishop undertaken the better to conceal their own Faults our Arch-bishop seemed to be engaged giving too much credit to the ill Reports that Farrar's Enemies raised against him in a great heap of frivolous and malicious Articles exhibited to the King's Council Who appointed Sir Iohn Mason and Dr. VVotton to examine them Though I suppose our pious Arch-bishop afterwards saw through this Malice and forbore any further to give Influence to those that prosecuted this honest Man Understanding by Letters which that afflicted Man sent both to him and Bishop Goodrick Lord Chancellor his unjust Vexations wrought by his Adversaries One whereof I mean his Register remained Register to that very Popish Bishop that succeeded him nay and was assistant at his Trial and Condemnation In short hear what one writes that lived nearer those Times and might therefore be presumed to know more of these Matters This was a Conspiracy of his Enemies against him and of wicked Fellows who had robbed the Church kept Concubines falsified Records and committed many other gross Abuses To conclude I find by a private Letter written to Iohn Fox that these Men knowing how they had wronged the good Bishop came to him before his Death and asked him Forgiveness and he like a good Christian forgave them and was reconciled to them CHAP. X. The Arch-bishop answers the Rebels Articles THE Commons this Year brake out into a dangerous Rebellion and though they were once or twice appeased and scattered in some Places yet they made Insurrections in others And chiefly in Devon where they were very formidable for their Numbers The Reason they pretended was double The one was the Oppression of the Gentry in enclosing of their Commons from them The other the laying aside the old Religion which because it was Old and the Way their Forefathers worshipped God they were very fond of The Ld Russel Ld Privy-Seal who was sent against them offering to receive their Complaints the Rebels sent them to him drawn up under 15 Articles As before they had sent their Demands in seven Articles and a Protestation that they were the King 's Body and Goods In Answer to which the King sent a Message to them that may be seen in Fox They sent also a Supplication to the King To the which an Answer was made by the King 's Learned Counsel I shall take notice only of the fifteen Articles unto which our Arch-bishop drew up an excellent Answer at good length For no Man was thought so fit as he to open and unravel these Mens Requests and to unfold the unreasonableness of them and to shew what real Mischief they would pluck down upon themselves and the Nation should all the Decrees of our Forefathers and the Six Articles be revived again and what great Injury Religion would receive should the Latin Masses and Images and the worshipping the Sacrament and Purgatory and Abbies be restored and Cardinal Pole come Home and the English Bible be called in and such-like things which their Demands consisted of This Answer of the Arch-bishop I judg worthy preserving and therefore though somewhat long I have laid in the Appendix because it will shew his Wisdom Learning and the Knowledg of the State of the Kingdom that he was furnished with I met with these Writings in the Manuscript Librarary of Benet College being the rough Draught of them all under the Arch-bishop's own Hand He charged them with Ignorance in putting up such Articles And concluded them not to be their own Minds to have them granted had they understood them but that they were indeed devised by some Priests and rank Papists and Traitors to the Realm which he would not so much as think of them So that he gently told them that he must use the same expression to them that Christ did to Iames and Iohn They asked they wot not what The Arch-bishop wrot this Answer after the Rout at Exeter given them by the Lord Russel and the taking Prisoners divers of their Captains and Priests and between the Condemnation and Execution of Humphrey Arundel and Bray Mayor of Bodmin Whom he prayed God to make penitent before their Deaths to which they were adjudged For which two the Rebels in one of their Articles had required safe Conduct to make their Grievances known to the King As they had in another Article demanded two Divines of the same Popish stamp to be sent to them to preach namely Moreman and Crispin Who both seemed now being Priests of that Country to be under Restraint upon suspicion Men as the Arch-bishop told them ignorant of God's Word but of notable Craft Wilfulness and Dissimulation and such as would poison them instead of feeding them Of Crispin I find little but that he was once Proctor of the University of Oxon and Doctor of the Faculty of Physick and of
Oriel College Moreman was beneficed in Cornwal in King Henry's Time and seemed to go along with that King in his steps of Reformation and was observed to be the first that taught his Parishioners the Lord's Prayer the Creed and the Ten Commandments in English yet shewing himself in the next King's Reign a Zealot for the old Superstitions Hence we perceive the Reason why the Arch-bishop charged him to be a Man full of Craft and Hypocrisy In Q. Mary's Time he was for his Popish Merits preferred to be Dean of Exeter and was Coadjutor to the Bishop of that Diocess probably then superannuated and died in that Queen's Reign Besides these two there was another Clergy-man the Rebels spent another Article in speaking for namely Cardinal Pole Whom they would have sent for Home and to be preferred to be of the Privy-Council But Cranmer told them his Judgment first in general of Cardinals that they never did Good to this Realm but always Hurt And then in particular of this Cardinal that he had read once a virulent Book of his writing against King Henry exciting the Pope the Emperor the French King and all other Princes to invade this Realm And therefore that he was so far from deserving to be called Home and to live in England that he deserved not to live at all In fine in this excellent Composition of the Arch-bishop his Design was to expose the Abuses and Corruptions of Popery and to convince the Nation what need there was that such Matters should be abolished as the Pope's Decrees Solitary Masses Latin Service hanging the Host over the Altar Sacrament in one Kind Holy Bread and Holy Water Palms Ashes Images the old Service-Book praying for Souls in Purgatory And to vindicate the English Service the use of the Holy Scriptures in the Vulgar Tongue and other Matters relating to the Reformation made in King Edward's Time Which he doth all along with that strain of happy Perspicuity and Easiness that one shall scarcely meet with elsewhere mixed every where with great Gravity Seriousness and Compassion The Arch-bishop thought it highly convenient in these Commotions round about to do his Endeavour to keep those People that were still and quiet as yet in their Duty And for this Purpose had Sermons composed to be now read by the Curats to the People in their Churches to preserve them in their Obedience and to set out the Evil and Mischief of the present Disturbances I find in the same Volume where Cranmer's Answers aforesaid are a Sermon against the Seditions arising now every where with the Arch-bishop's Interlinings and marginal Notes and Corrections This Sermon was first wrote in Latin by Peter Martyr as a Note of Arch-bishop Parker's Hand testifieth at Arch-bishop Cranmer's Request to the said Learned Man no question and so by his Order translated into English and printed I suppose for the common Use in those Times It begins thus The common Sorrow of this present Time dear beloved Brethren in Christ if I should be more led thereby than by Reason and Zeal to my Country would move me rather to hold my Peace than to speak For the great Evils which we now suffer are to be bewailed with Tears and Silence rather than with Words And hereunto I might allege for me the Example of Iob who when he came to his extream Misery he lying upon a Dunghil and three of his Friends sitting upon the Ground by him for the space of seven Days for great Sorrow not one of them opened his Mouth to speak a word to another If then the miserable Estate of Iob like a hard and sharp Bit stopped his Mouth from speaking and the lamentable Case of their Friend staid these three Men being of Speech most Eloquent that they could not utter their words surely it seems that I have a much more cause to be still and hold my peace For there was the piteous Lamentation of no more but one Man or one Houshold and that only concerning temporal and worldly Substance but we have cause to bewail a whole Realm and that most Noble which lately being in that State that all other Realms envied our Wealth and feared our Force is now so troubled so vexed so tossed and deformed and that by Sedition among our selves of such as be Members of the same that nothing is left unattempted to the utter Ruin and Subversion thereof And besides this the everlasting Punishment of God threatneth as well the Authors and Procurers of these Seditions as all other that join themselves unto them c. Besides this Sermon of P. Martyr's there is another Discourse pen'd by him under his own hand on the same occasion designed as it seems to be translated into English and sent to the Rebels thus beginning Tantum voluit Deus vim charitatis amoris magnitudinem inter populum magistratum intercedere ut per Hieremiam admonuerit plebem Israeliticam quod pro Rege Nebuchadnezar orarent qui corum Rempub. everterat illosque adhuc captivitate Babylonica premebat Dominus tametsi voluit suos instar columbarum simplices degere idem nihilominus admonuit ut serpentum prudentiam imitarentur qua suas actiones Literarum Sacrarum praeceptâ—s regerent moderarentur caverentque ne aliena consilia ut Papistarum vel Seditiosorum se in transversum auferrent Si potuissetis quod est prudentium in longinquum prospicere omnino vidissetis caeteros hostes uti nunc res ipsa declarat fretos vestris tumultibus in vestrum Regnum arma sumpturos ausuros impunè qui nunquam si in officio mansissetis tentassent c. This last Paragraph respected the French King who taking occasion from these Broils at Home brake out into open Hostility against the Kingdom recalling his Ambassador and on a sudden brought his Ships against the Isles of Iersey and Guernsey with an intent to have conquered them But by the Valour of the Inhabitants and some of the King's Ships he was beaten off with great Loss This was in the Month of August Martin Bucer also wrote a Discourse against this Sedition as well as Martyr Both of them were now I suppose under the Arch-bishop's Roof entertained by him And he thought it convenient that these learned Foreigners should give some publick Testimony of their Dislike of these Doings Bucer's Discourse subjoined to Martyr's began in this Tenor Quae dici possunt ad sedandos animos plebis ab omni conatu seditioso absterrendos quod ad rem ipsam attinet inscripta sunt omnia in Reverendissimi D. N. M. Ven. Collegae nostri Pet. Martyris Schedis ut nostra adjectione nulla sit opus tamen ut consensum spiritus testemur haâ— subjecta libuit annotare c. An Office of Fasting was composed for this Rebellion which being allayed in the West grew more formidable in Norfolk and Yorkshire For I find a Prayer composed by the Arch-bishop with
these words preceding The Exhortation to Penance or the Supplication may end with this or some other-like Prayer And then the Prayer followeth O Lord whose Goodness far exceedeth our Naughtiness and whose Mercy passeth all Measure we confess thy Judgment to be most Just and that we worthily have deserved this Rod wherewith thou hast now beaten us We have offended the Lord God We have lived wickedly We have gone out of the Way We have not heard thy Prophets which thou hast sent unto us to teach us thy Word nor have done as thou hast commanded us wherefore we be most worthy to suffer all these Plagues Thou hast done justly and we be worthy to be confounded But we Provoke unto thy Goodness we Appeal unto thy Mercy we humble our selves we knowledg our Faults We turn to thee O Lord with our whole Hearts in Praying in Fasting in Lamenting and Sorrowing for our Offences Have Mercy upon us cast us not away according to our Deserts but hear us and deliver us with speed and call us to thee again according to thy Mercy That we with one Consent and one Mind may evermore glorify Thee World without End Amen After this follow some rude Draughts written by Arch-bishop Cranmer's own Hand for the Composing as I suppose of an Homily or Homilies to be used for the Office aforesaid which may be read in the Appendix CHAP. XI Bishop Boner Deprived ON the 8 th of September a Commission was issued out from the King to our Arch-bishop together with Ridley Bishop of Rochester Petre and Smith the two Secretaries and Dr. May Dean of Pauls to examine Boner Bishop of London for several Matters of Contempt of the King's Order The Witnesses against him were William Latimer and Iohn Hoper After the patience of seven Sessions at Lambeth in all which he carried himself disdainfully making Excuses and Protestations first against Sir Thomas Smith and then against them all and Appealing to the King the Arch-bishop in the Name of the rest declared him Obstinate and pronounced a Sentence of Deprivation against him and committed him to the Marshalsea for his extraordinary Rudeness to the King's Commissioners and there he abode all this King's Reign I will only mention somewhat of his Behaviour towards the good Arch-bishop At his first appearance before the Commissioners which was on the 10 th of September when they told him the Reason of their Commission viz. To call him to Account for a Sermon lately by him made at Pauls Cross for that he did not publish to the People the Article he was commanded to preach upon that is of the King's Authority during his Minority He after a bold scoffing manner gave no direct Answer to this but turned his Speech to the ABp swearing That he wished one thing were had in more Reverence than it was namely the Blessed Mass as he stiled it And telling the Arch-bishop withal That he had written very well of the Sacrament but he marvelled he did not more honour it The Arch-bishop perceiving his gross Ignorance concerning his Book by his commending that which was contrary to his Opinion said to Boner That if he thought it well it was because he understood it not Boner after his rude manner replied He thought he understood it better than he that wrote it To which the Arch-bishop subjoined That truly he would make a Child of ten Years old understand as much as he But what is that said he to our present Matter At this first Session when Boner had said That he perceived the Cause of his present Trouble was for that in the Sermon made at Pauls Cross before-mentioned he had asserted the true Presence of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar The Arch-bishop said That he spake much of a Presence in the Sacrament but he asked him What Presence is there and what Presence he meant Boner then in heat said My Lord I say and believe that there is the very true Presence of the Body and Blood of Christ. What and how do you believe said he to the Arch-bishop Then the Arch-bishop not minding to answer his Question at this time asked him further Whether Christ were there Face Nose Mouth Eyes Arms and Lips with other Lineaments of his Body At which Boner shook his Head and said He was right sorry to hear his Grace speak those words and urged the Arch-bishop to shew his Mind But the Arch-bishop wisely waved it saying That their being there at that time was not to dispute of those Matters but to prosecute their Commission against him At another of these Sessions staying at the Chamber-Door where the Commissioners sat perceiving some of the Arch-bishop's Gentlemen standing by he applied himself to them requiring and charging them in God's behalf and in his Name That where they should chance to see and hear corrupt and erroneous Preachers against the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar they should tell their Lord and Master of the same and of these his Sayings also to them as they were Christian Men and should answer before God for the contrary And being committed by the Delegates to the Under-Marshal and going away he turned again and told the Arch-bishop That he was sorry that he being a Bishop should be so handled at his Hands but more sorry that he suffered abominable Hereticks to practise as they did in London and elsewhere infecting and disquieting the King's Liege People And therefore he required him as he would answer to God and the King that he would henceforth abstain thus to do And if he did not he said he would accuse him before God and the King's Majesty Answer to it added he as well as you can And so departed When Boner after the Sentence of Deprivation made a solemn Declaration there against their Proceedings saying That he came compelled and not of his own free will being brought as a Prisoner And so appealed again from them to the King The Arch-bishop answered his Declaration and told him That whereas he said he came coacted or else he would not have appeared he marvelled at him for that he would thereby make them and the Audience to believe that because he was a Prisoner he ought not therefore to answer Which if it were true were enough to confound the whole State of the Realm For I dare say said the Arch-bishop that of the greatest Prisoners and Rebels that ever the Keeper there hath had under him he cannot shew me one that hath used such Defence as you have here done To which Boner said That if his Keeper were learned in the Laws he could shew him his Mind therein The Arch-bishop said That he had read over all the Laws as well as he but to another End and Purpose than he did and yet he could find no such Privilege in this Matter He was Deprived in the beginning of October and the See remained void for some Months till the next
them obliquely therewith And in fine he wrote that He and those with him knew more than they did to whom they writ Probably he meant that he knew that this Anger against the Duke arose from the private Malice of some of them or their Hatred of the Reformation notwithstanding all the fair Pretences of their Care of the King and the Protector 's Misgovernment This Letter the Lords from Ely-house answered Charging and commanding the Arch-bishop and those with him to have a continual earnest watch of the King's Person and that he be not removed from Windsor-Castle as they would answer the same at their utmost Perils They wondred much they said that they would suffer the King's Royal Person to remain in the Guard of the Duke's Men and that Strangers should be Armed with the King's Armour and be nearest about his Person For it seems many of the King's Servants in this Fear were removed away They advised the Arch-bishop and the Lord Paget to come over to their Side and to leave the poor Duke alone Upon this the Arch-bishop and the others wrote a second Letter dated October the 10 th Wherein they assured the Lords that they could whensoever they pleased to require it give such very good Reasons for their so often mentioning Cruelty in their other Letter as they questioned not they would be well satisfied with And so upon the Lord 's propounding a Meeting with the King and them they accorded thereunto in great prudence willing for Peace and Quietness in that dangerous Time so to do These Letters are recorded in the History of the Reformation The Common-Prayer-Book and Administration of the Sacraments by the great care and study of the Arch-bishop was now finished and settled by Act of Parliament which would not down with a great many But upon the taking up of the Duke of Somerset in the Month of October and laying him in the Tower it was generally said that now the old Latin-Service should come in again the common Opinion being that the Common-Prayer was peculiarly of his procuring And that there were such Designs among Somerset's Enemies who were generally favourers of the old Religion it is not improbable The good Arch-bishop thought it now time to interpose in this thing and to obtain from the Privy-Council somewhat to confirm the Book of Common-Prayer So there was in Decemb. 25. a general Letter drawn up to all the Bishops of England Letting them understand That there was no intention of bringing in again Latin-Service conjured Bread and Water nor any such abrogated Ceremonies And that the abolishing of these and the setting forth of the Book of Common-Prayer was done by the whole State of the Realm That the Book was grounded upon the Holy Scripture and was agreeable to the Order of the Primitive Church and much to the edifying of the Subject And therefore that the changing of that for the old Latin-Service would be a preferring of Ignorance to Knowledg Darkness to Light and a preparation to bring in Papistry and Superstition again The Bishops therefore were bid with all speed to command their Deans and Prebendaries and all Parsons Vicars and Curates to bring to such Places as the Bishops should appoint all Antiphoners Missals c. and all other Books of Service and that they be defaced and abolished that they be no let to that Godly and uniform Order set forth And to commit to Ward any stubborn and disobedient Persons that brought not the said Books and to certify the Council of their Misbehaviour That they should make search if any of these Superstitious Books were withdrawn or hid That whereas there were some Persons who refused to contribute to the buying of Bread and Wine for the Communion according to the Order of the Book whereby many-times the Holy Communion was fain to be omitted to convent such Persons before them and admonish them and if they refused to do accordingly to punish them by Suspension Excommunication or other Censure This was signed by the Arch-bishop and the Lord Chancellor Rich and four more CHAP. XIII The Arch-bishop entertains learned Foreigners THE Arch-bishop had now in his Family several Learned Men. Some he sent for from beyond Sea and some in pity he entertained being Exiles for Religion Among the former sort was Martin Bucer a Man of great Learning and Moderation and who bore a great part in the Reformation of Germany While he and the rest abode under his Roof the Arch-bishop still employed them sometimes in learned Conferences and Consultations held with them sometimes in writing their Judgment upon some Subjects in Divinity Here Bucer wrote to the Lady Elizabeth a Letter bearing Date the 6 th of the Calends of September commending her Study in Piety and Learning and exciting her to proceed therein incited so to do I make no doubt by the Arch-bishop whom Bucer in that Letter makes mention of and stileth Patrem suum benignissimum hospitem Hence also he wrote another Letter to the Marquess of Northampton who was a Patron of Learning and a Professor of Religion in the behalf of Sleidan who was promised a Pension by the King to enable him to write the History of the Progress of Religion beginning at Luther A part of the Letter translated into English ran thus Therefore if we should not take care that this so great Act of Divine Goodness towards us viz. the Reformation began in the Year 1517 should be most diligently written and consecrated to Posterity we should lie under the Crime of the neglect of God's Glory and most foul Ingratitude Therefore Iohn Sleidan a very Learned and Eloquent Man five Years ago began to compile an History of this Nature as the Work he had published did witness But after he was much encouraged in this Undertaking and well furnished with Matter the Calamities that befel Germany for our own Deserts intercepted the pious Attempts of this Man so very useful to the Church Nor doth it appear now from whence besides the King's Majesty we may hope that some small Benignity may be obtained for Sleidan since the Salaries which he received for this purpose from the German Princes failed and he was poor That Iohn Alasco Dr. Peter Martyr and he considering these things and weighing how the truly Christian King Edward was even born with a desire of illustrating the Glory of Christ and what need there was to set Sleidan again upon finishing the History of the Gospel restored to us they had therefore presumed to supplicate the King in his behalf and intreated the Marquess to promote and forward their Supplication and to vouchsafe to contribute his Help also We shall hear more of this hereafter I find also Annotations writ by the said Bucer upon S. Matthew reaching as far as the eighth Chapter and there ending in this method There is the Latin Translation with large Notes added in the Margin and at the end of each Chapter common
of old Popish Curats The Letter is dated the 23 d of Iuly and is extant in Fox In London by the Connivance and Remisness of the Bishop many neglected the Divine Service then established and others did in secret Places of the Diocess often frequent the Popish Mass and other Superstitious Rites not allowed by the Laws of England The Sins of Adultery greatly encreased The Churches and particularly the Mother-Church of S. Paul's ran into Dilapidations the Glass was broken and the Ornaments and other Buildings belonging to Churches neglected Many refused to pay Tithes to their Curates probably of both sorts such as were Papists to those Curats as more diligently preached Reformation and obeyed the King's Laws and such as were not so to such Curats as were more backward thereunto Bishop Boner also himself now seldom came to Church seldomer preached and celebrated the English Communion Wherefore the Council sent certain private Injunctions to Boner for the redress of these things That he should preach in his own Person at Paul's Cross and declare certain Articles relating to the before-mentioned Neglects which the Council now sent to him to redress That he should preach once in a Quarter and exhort the People to Obedience and that he should be present at every Sermon at Paul's Cross that he should on the principal Feasts celebrate the Communion and at all times that his Predecessors used to Celebrate and sing High Mass. That he should call before him all such as did not frequent the Church and Common-Prayer and the Holy Communion and punish them as also Adulterers and that he should look to the Reparation of S. Paul's and other Churches and that the People pay their Tithes The Adulteries before hinted which the Council thought fit to recommend to the Bishop to take particular cognizance of makes me add that about this time the Nation grew infamous for this Crime It began among the Nobility and so spread at length among the inferior sort Noblemen would very frequently put away their Wives and marry others if they liked another Woman better or were like to obtain Wealth by her And they would sometimes pretend their former Wives to be false to their Beds and so be divorced and marry again such whom they fancied The first occasion of this seemed to be in the Earl of Northampton divorcing himself from his first Wife Anne Daughter to the Earl of Essex and after marrying Elizabeth Daughter to the Lord Cobham In like manner Henry Son of William Earl of Pembroke put away Katharine Daughter to Henry the Duke of Suffolk and married Mary the Daughter of Sir Henry Sidney These Adulteries and Divorces encreased much yea and marrying again without Divorce which became a great Scandal to the Realm and to the Religion professed in it and gave much Sorrow and Trouble in good Men to see it In so much that they thought it necessary to move for an Act of Parliament to punish Adultery with Death This Latimer in a Sermon preached in the Year 1550 signified to the King For the Love of God saith he take an order for Marriage here in England This is some Account of the Retardation of Religion On the other hand the Endeavors of those that wished well to it were not wanting Now the Protestants began more freely to put forth Books and to disperse such as were formerly printed beyond Sea in the behalf of Religion against Popery and concerning such as had suffered under the Cruelties of the Church of Rome Bale about these Days dispersed his Books One was The Image of both Churches applying the Divine Prophecy of the Revelations to the Apostate Church of Rome Another was a Vindication of the Lady Anne Ascue who suffered the cruel Death of Burning about the end of King Henry's Reign Whose Cause the Papists studiously had rendred bad This Book he intitled The Elucidation of Anne Ascue's Martyrdom Which was this Year exposed publickly to sale at Winchester and the Parts thereabouts as a Reproach to the Bishop of Winchester who was the great Cause of her Death Four of these Books came to that Bishop's own Eyes being then at Winchester they had Leaves put in as Additions to the Book some glewed and some unglewed which probably contained some further Intelligences that the Author had gathered since his first writing of the Book And herein some Reflexions were made freely according to Bale's Talent upon some of the Court not sparing Paget himself though then Secretary of State Another of Bale's Books that went now about was touching the Death of Luther Therein was a Prayer of the Duke of Saxony mentioned which the Bishop of Winchester gladly took hold on Wherein that Duke as to the justness of his Cause remitted himself to God's Judgment to be shewed on him here in this World if the Cause he undertook were not Just concerning Religion and desired God if it were not Good to order him to be taken and spoiled of his Honors and Possessions Since which the Duke was taken Prisoner and at the very time of his taking the Papists made an Observation that the Sun appeared so strangely in England as the like had not been seen before So apt are Men to interpret Events according to their own preconceived Opinions But at this Winchester took much Advantage Whereas indeed the Issues of God's Providence in this World are not favourable always even to the best Causes The keeping of Lent was now called into Controversy and asserted that it was not to be observed upon a religious Account And this was done the rather because the Papists placed so much Religion in the bare Fast. In the Pulpit it began to be cried down Tongue and Ioseph two great Preachers in London said That Lent was one of Christ's Miracles which God ordained not Men to imitate or follow And that it was an insupportable Burden There was a set of Rhimes now made about the burial of Lent which was called Iack of Lent 's Testament and publicly sold in Winchester Market therein Steven Gardiner the Bishop was touched who was a great Man for keeping it For in the Ballad Stephen Stockfish was bequeathed in this Will to Stephen Gardiner Of this he made a long Complaint to the Protector But yet this Neglect of Lent was not encouraged by the Superiors For it was kept at Court and Preparations for the King's Diet were made accordingly this Lent by the Protector The Protestants indeed were for keeping it and an Order was issued out for that purpose tho not upon a Religious but Politick Account But the greater part of the ordinary People would not be brought to it by this Distinction So that the Preachers were fain to be employed Latimer preached That those that regard-not Laws and Statutes were despisers of Magistrates There be Laws made of Diet he said what Meats we shall eat at all times And this Law is made in Policy as I suppose for
would do in them it not being reasonable he should subscribe them in Prison This being reported to the Council Iuly 15 it was agreed that he should be sent for before the whole Council and examined Whether he would stand at this Point Which if he did then to denounce the Sequestration of his Benefice for three Months with intimation if he reformed not in that space to deprive him This Order was Signed by Somerset Wilts Bedford Clynton Paget Wyngfield Herbert Iuly 19. The Bishop of VVynton was brought before the Council and there the Articles before mentioned were read unto him distinctly Whereunto he refused either to subscribe or consent Answering in these words That in all things his Majesty would command him he was willing and most ready to obey but forasmuch as there were divers things required of him which his Conscience would not bear therefore he prayed them to have him excused And thereupon Secretary Petre by the Council's Order proceeded to read the Sequestration Thus fairly and calmly was this Bishop dealt with by the King and his Council from Iune 8. to Iuly 19. And notwithstanding this Sentence the Council favorably ordered that the Bishop's House and Servants should be maintained in their present State until the expiration of the three Months and that the Matter in the mean time should be kept secret The three Months expired Octob. 19. but with such Clemency was he used that it was November 23 before his Business was renewed And then considering the time of his Intimation was long sithence expired it was agreed that the Bishop of Ely Mr. Secretary Petre Dr. May and Dr. Glynne all Learned in the Civil Law should substantially confer upon the Matter and upon Tuesday next the 26 th day of this present to certify unto the Council what was to be done duly by order of the Law in this Case And now the Arch-bishop of Canterbury began to be concerned in this troublesome Business A Commission dated Decemb. 12 was issued out from the King to the said Arch-bishop and to the Bishops of London Ely Lincoln to Sir VVilliam Petre Sir Iames Hales and some other Lawyers to call the said Bishop of VVinchester before them and continuing in his Contempt to proceed to deprive him December 14. The Lieutenant of the Tower was ordered to bring the Bishop on Monday next to Lambeth before my Lord of Canterbury and other Commissioners upon his Cause and likewise upon their Appointment to bring him thither from day to day at times by them prefixed December 15 was the day of VVinchester's first Appearance The Business done this Session was the opening and reading the Commission and after that divers Articles against the Bishop Who then made a Speech Wherein first He protested against these his Judges and excepted against their Commission and required this his Protestation to be entred into the Acts of the Court. Then desiring a Copy of the Commission it was granted him together with that of the Articles too to make his Answers to Next the Archbishop gave him his Oath to make true Answer Which he took still with his Protestation Then the Bishop desiring Counsel the Arch-bishop and the rest not only granted his Request but allowed him whomsoever he should name Which was the next Day allowed also by an Order of Council Certain honourable Persons were deposed and sworn for Witnesses as Sir Anthony Wingfield Controller of the Houshold Sir William Cecyl Secretary Sir Rafe Sadleir Sir Edward North Dr. Cox Almoner and others The Bishop also protested against them and the Swearing of them At this first Sessions he had also said in the hearing of a great Multitude present concerning the Duke of Somerset and some other Privy-Counsellors sent to him in the Tower That they had made an end with him before for all the matters for which he was committed In so much that he verily thought he should never have heard any more of it This coming soon to the Ears of these Nobles highly offended them as reporting falsely of them So that to justify themselves in as publick a manner the next Sessions they sent their Letter dated December 17 signed by the Duke of Somerset the Earls of Wiltshire and Bedford and Sir Edward North wherein they denied any such Matter saying That the Bishop defended his Cause with Untruths and that upon their Fidelities and Honours his Tale was false and untrue For that their coming to him in the Tower was to do their endeavour to reclaim him And they prayed the Commissioners that for their Vindication they would cause this their Letter to be publickly read Which was accordingly done though the Bishop thinking how this would reflect upon him under his former Protestation laboured hard that he might first be heard and that he had something to propose why it should not be read Which notwithstanding they would not grant Ianuary 19. The Council sitting at Greenwich the Bishop's Servants came and desired that certain of them might be sworn upon certain Articles for Witness on his behalf And if they might not be sworn that upon their Honours as they would answer before God they would witness truly according to their Conscience and as effectually as if they were sworn upon a Book And they were allowed The Bishop to make his Cause the more plausible as though he were the publick Defender of the Roman Catholick-Church in England at this time laboured to make it believed that he fell into all this Trouble for the Defence of the Real Presence in the Sacrament and for maintaining the Catholick Doctrine in a Sermon before the King and that he made his Book to vindicate himself therein And therefore in one of his Appearances before the Commissioners openly in the Court delivered them his Book against Arch-bishop Cranmer printed in France and to make it suit the better he had altered some lines in the beginning of his Book so as to make it to relate to his present Case But in truth Gardiner had wrote and finished his Book before This Cranmer unvailed in his Answer to this Book of Gardiner's Saying there That he made his Book before he was called before the Commissioners as he could prove by a Book under his own Hand-writing and that he was called before the Commissioners by his own Suit and Procurement and as it were inforcing the Matter But indeed the true Cause was That he was called to Justice for his manifest Contempt and continual Disobedience from time to time or rather Rebellion against the King's Majesty and was deprived of his State for the same In short after a greal deal of Pains and Patience the Bishop was by the Arch-bishop and the rest of the Commissioners deprived after no less then two and twenty Sessions held at divers places that is from the 15 th of December to the 14 th of February though Stow falsely nameth but seven The Bishop when he saw the
Sentence Definitive ready to be pronounced made an Appeal from them to the King For his doing which he produced these Reasons For that these his pretended Judges were not indifferent but prejudiced against him That my Lord of Canterbury had caused him to be sent to Prison whereas the Arch-bishop was only present at the Council when he was by them ordered to the Tower And so had Hales Goodrick and Gosnold counselled to send him thither Also that the Arch-bishop and the Bishops of London and Lincoln did contrary to the Laws Ecclesiastical and taught and set forth manifest condemned Errors against the Presence in the Sacrament And because the Bishop as well in his Writings as otherwise did set forth the Catholick Faith of the very Presence of Christ's Body and Blood therefore they shewed themselves unduly affected towards him That Sir William Petre decreed the Fruits of his Bishoprick to be sequestred de facto sed non de jure and now was Judg in his own Cause But notwithstanding this Appeal the Arch-bishop with the rest of the Commissioners pronounced him Deprived and his Bishoprick void After this was done the Bishop appealed again to the King instantly more instantly most instantly from their Sentence as Injust and of no effect in Law and asked of them Letters Dimissory to be granted to him and a Copy of the Judgment But the Judges declared they would first know the pleasure of the King and his Council therein And so this last Session brake up The day after being the 15 th of February the Council sitting at VVestminster upon debating the Bishop of VVinton's Case Forasmuch as it appeared he had at all times before the Judges of his Cause used himself unreverently to the King's Majesty and slanderfully towards his Council and especially Yesterday being the Day of his Judgment given against him he called his Judges Hereticks and Sacramentaries they being there the King's Commissioners and of his Highness's Council it was therefore concluded by the whole Board that he should be removed from the Lodging he hath now in the Tower to a meaner Lodging and none to wait upon him but one by the Lieutenant's Appointment in such sort as by the resort of any Man to him he have not the liberty to send out to any Man or to hear from any Man And likewise that his Books and Papers be taken from him and seen and that from henceforth he have neither Pen Ink nor Paper to write his detestable Purposes but be sequestred from all Conferences and from all means that may serve him to practise any way March 8. at VVestminster This day by the King's Majesty 's own Appointment Dr. Poynet Bishop of Rochester was chosen Bishop of VVinchester And the Arch-bishop of Canterbury had given him 266 l. 13 s. 4 d. i. e. 400 Marks for his Pains and Charges about the Bishop of VVinchester And thus I have from very Authentick Authority gathered together these Memorials of this turbulent haughty Man who was now so seasonably laid aside in this King's Reign till we hear of him loudly in the next when he sufficiently wracked his Revenge against our good Arch-bishop and the true Religion CHAP. XX. Bishop Hethe and Bishop Day their Deprivations WHile the aforesaid Bp lay under Sequestrationin the Tower two other Bps that were wayward to the King's Proceedings in the Reformation of the Church viz. of Worcester and Chichester came under the Hands of the Privy-Council resolving to make them comply or deprive them That others more willing and better affected to Reformation might succeed and do service in the Church and that the Arch-bishop might go forward with less Stop and Impediment in the good Work he had dedicated himself unto Both of them were of the Arch-bishop's raising and seemed very compliant with the Arch-bishop during K. Henry's Reign But now both hung off from him seeming much offended with him for his relinquishing the Doctrine of the Corporeal Presence and for writing a Book against it Whereof they made mention with dislike in their Depositions in the Bishop of Winchester's Trial before the Commissioners In the last Year the Year 1549 Twelve Learned Divines Bishops and others were appointed by the Council to prepare a new Book for the Ordination of Ministers purged of the Superstitions of the old Ordinal Hethe Bishop of Worcester was nominated for one of these But he not liking the thing would not agree to what the others did nor subscribe the Book when made For which in March he was committed to the Fleet where he lay under easy Confinement all the next Year the Year 1550 during which time I find him once produced as a Witness on Bishop Gardiner's behalf But in the Year 1551 the Court being at Chelsey and the Council sitting September 22. by virtue of the King 's express Commandment Nicolâ—s Bishop of Worcester was sent for and came before the Lords and others To whom was repeated the Cause of his Imprisonment to be For that he refused to subscribe the Book devised for the Form of making Arch-bishops Bishops Priests and Deacons being authorized by Parliament At the time of which refusal being not only gently and reasonably required to subscribe it but also being manifestly taught by divers other Learned Men that all Things contained in the Book were Good and True and that the Book was expedient and allowable the said Bishop declared himself to be a vâ—ry obstinate Man And for this his doing it was now shewed unto him that he deserved longer Imprisonment Nevertheless the King's Majesty's Clemency was such that now if he had or would reconcile himself to obey his Majesty in this former Commandment he should recover the King's Majesty's Favour For which Cause it was told him That he was then presently sent for and willed now to subscribe the same Whereunto he answered That he took the Cause of his Imprisonment to be as was alleged and that also he was very gently used rather like a Son than a Subject Nevertheless he said he remained still in the same mind not willing to subscribe it although he would not disobey it And although he was reasoned withal by every of the said Council in disproving his manner of answer that he would not subscribe it being every thing in the said Book True and Good and being devised by eleven other Learned Men to which he was joined as the twelfth and received of all the whole Estate of the Realm agreeing also that he would obey it not subscribe it which contained a Contradiction in Reason Yet he still as a Man not removeable from his own Conceit refused to subscribe it Whereupon to prove all manner of Ways for the winning of him to his Duty he was offered to have Conference with Learned Men and to have time to consider the Matter better Whereunto he said That he could not have better Conference than he had heretofore and well might he have
Ely By the way one might enquire why he resorted not rather to his Friend and Patron the Arch-bishop of Canterbury But the reason may soon be guessed namely That after the Fall of Somerset the Arch-bishop's good Friend he came not so often to Court or transacted Business there unless sent for knowing his Interest likewise to be but little with the Duke of Northùmberland who now bare all the Sway and who had a jealous Eye of him as he had of all Somerset's Friends And so the Arch-bishop might have rather hindred than forwarded A Lasco's Business if he had appeared in it But this en passent The Chancellor gently received A Lasco and dismissing him sent him to Secretary Cecyl with this Message to get him to propound the Business the next Day in the Afternoon at the Council-Board when himself should be there promising him likewise that he would be assistant to him in procuring him a Warrant in Writing to be directed to all Ministers and Church-wardens of the Parishes of Southwark and S. Katharines that for the time to come the Strangers of this Congregation should receive no Molestation in that regard any more Accordingly A Lasco the next Morning sent one of the Elders of his Church to Cecyl with his Letter excusing himself that he came not being grievously afflicted with a Pain in his Head Therein he acquainted him with the Sum of his Conference with the Lord Chancellor adding that the obtaining such a Warrant would be necessary for them to produce and shew to such as at that present did annoy them and to be hereafter kept by the Church That they might not be forced at other times upon the like Occasions to create new trouble to the King's Council or himself in suing for new Warrants of that Nature Meaning hereby to put the Secretary upon drawing this up the more formally and substantially And so intreating him to hear what the Elder had to say and to dispatch him he took his leave This Letter also is inserted in the Appendix The Superintendency of A Lasco seemed to extend not only to this particular Congregation of Germans but over all the other Churches of Foreigners set up in London as also over their Schools of Learning and Education They were all subject to his Inspection and within his Jurisdiction And Melancthon in an Epistle to him in the Month of Septemb. 1551. speaks of the Purity of Doctrine in his Churches His Condition now as to worldly Circumstances began to be so good that he was able to relieve and succour such Learned Foreigners as should retire hither For when one Nicolas Forst a Learned and grave Man who had lived long in the University of Lovain and had spent some time with Melancthon was minded for the sake of Religion to convey himself into England he recommended him earnestly to the Superintendent as a Person fit to teach in his Churches and Schools and that he would friendly entertain him as an Exile for the same Cause himself was and find him some little Nest to remain in Nay and the said Melancthon himself had some thoughts of sheltering himself under A Lasco here as appears by the forementioned Letter wherein he stiles him his Patron For the Superscription of his Letter is thus Illustri Magnifico ac Reverendo Viro Nobilitate generis Virtute Sapientia praestanti Dn. Iohanni a Lasco Patrono suo colendo So much of Deference and Honour did Learned and Pious Men then use to give him In this Letter Melancthon told him that the Calamities of the Churches were great and that he himself expected Banishment and might probably in a short time arrive where he was And in respect of his hospitable reception of Strangers he told him that he believed he did often remember that saying of the exiled Queen Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco Nor was A Lasco any ways unfurnished for this Spiritual Government being a Man of good Learning and of great Piety Strictness and Gravity from his younger Age and of whom the great Erasmus himself acknowledged that he learned much For in his Epistle to Iohannes a Lasco the Arch-bishop of Gnesne who was Namesake and Unckle to our Superintendent he speaks thus of his Nephew That he was but Young yet Grave beyond his Years and that he himself accounted it none of the least parts of his Happiness that he happened to have his Converse and Society for some Months praising the Endowments that God had given him And particularly concerning the Benefits he received by him he could not but confess Senex juvenis convictu factus sum melior ac sobrietatem temperantiam verecundiam linguae moderationem modestiam pudicitiam integritatem quam juvenis a sene discere debuerat a juvene senex didici That by the Conversation of that young Man he an old Man became better and that Sobriety Temperance Awfulness government of the Tongue Modesty Chastity Integrity which the Young ought to learn of the Old he an old Man had learned of a Young This he wrote in August 1527 soon after A Lasco was gone from him And in Iune the same Year while he resided with him in another Letter to Leonard Cox a Learned English Man he signified the great complacency he took in his Company Iohannis a Lasco tale sum expertus ingenium ut vel hoc uno amico mihi videar satis beatus That he had found A Lasco's Parts to be such that he seemed happy enough in his single Friendship And this good Understanding continued between them as long as Erasmus lived For A Lasco seems to have been with him in his last Sickness when as the last Token of Erasmus's esteem of him he made a purchase to him of his own Library that incomparable Treasure if we may believe the Author of his Life in English A Lasco thought not the Clergy obliged to Celibacy or single Life for he himself was a married Man Who his Wife was I know not but as for her Qualities she was in all probability a pious and discreet Woman whereby she gained a great share in his Affections He stiled her The other part of himself But in August 1552. God deprived him of her Which Stroke put him for some time under much sadness and indisposition both of Mind and Body as appears by one of his Letters He was alive at the Accession of Q. Elizabeth to the English Throne And though he came not back then to England again whence he departed upon K. Edward's Death yet according to that great Interest he had here with the most eminent Persons and even the Queen her self he neglected not by his Letters to promote the Reformation and to give his grave Counsel in order thereunto And Zanchy Publick Professor at Stratsburgh knowing the sway he bare here in a Letter to him in the Year 1558 or 59 excited him in these words Non
Notwithstanding this cleansing of the Church from Superstition and Idolatry and bringing in the Knowledg of the Gospel by the Arch-bishop's constant Pains and Study the People generally even the Professors themselves were bad enough as to their Morals and Religion had yet got but little hold of them A clear sight of the Behaviour of these Times may be seen by what Tho. Becon a Chaplain of Cranmer's writ in his Preface to a Book put forth in those Days What a nomber of fals Christians lyve ther at thys present day unto the excedynge dishonour of the Christen Profession which with theyr Mouth confesse that they know God but with theyr Dedes they utterly denye hym and are abhominable disobedient to the Word of God and utterlye estranged from al good Works What a swarm of grosse Gospellers have we also among us which can prattle of the Gospel very fynely talk much of the Justification of Faith crake very stoutly of the free remissyon of all theyr Sins by Christ's Blood avaunce themselves to be of the Number of those which are predestinate unto Eternal Glory But how far do theyr Life differ from al true Christianitie They are puffed up with al kynd of Pryde they swel with al kynd of Envy Malice Hatred and Enmity against theyr Neghbour they brenne with unquencheable Lusts of Carnal Concupiscence they walowe and tumble in al kynd of beastly Pleasures theyr gredy covetous Affects are insatiable thenlarging of theyr Lordshipps thencreasyng of theyr Substance the scrapyng together of theyr Worldly Possessions infynite and knoweth no End In fyne all theyr Endeavours tend unto thys End to shew themselves very Ethnycks and utterly estraunged from God in theyr Conversation although in Words they otherwise pretend As for theyr Almes-Dedes theyr Praying theyr Watchyng theyr Fastyng and such other Godly Exercises of the Spirit they are utterly banished from these rude and gross Gospellers All theyr Religion consisteth in Words and Disputations in Christen Acts and Godly Dedes nothyng at all These evil Manners of the Professors themselves looked with so sad a Face that it made the best Men assuredly expect a Change and woful Times to follow Septemb. 27. A Letter was sent from the Council to the Arch-bishop to examine a Sect newly sprung up in Kent Whereof there was now a Book of Examinations sent him and to commune with a Man and a Woman the Informers bearers of the Letter who could inform him somewhat of the Matter And to take such order in the same according to the Commission that these Errors might not be suffered thus to overspread the King's Faithful Subjects What this Sect was appeareth not The Anabaptists were taken notice of and a Commission issued out against them some Years before These were Sectaries more new and whereof the Council very lately was informed It may be they were of the Family of Love or David George his Sect who made himself some-time Christ and some-time the Holy Ghost For a little before these Times divers Sects sprang up under the Profession of the Gospel in High and Low Germany some whereof dispersed themselves into England Which Sects began to do so much hurt to the Reformation among us that the Author before-mentioned laments it in these words What wicked and ungodly Opinions are there sown now-a-days of the Anabaptists Davidians Libertines and such other pestilent Sects in the Hearts of the People unto the great Disquietness of Christ's Church moving rather unto Sedition than unto pure Religion unto Heresy than unto things Godly The examination of this new Sect was one of the Businesses the Arch-bishop was employed in while he was in his Retirement at his House near Canterbury Another was the sitting upon a Commission to him and other Gentlemen of Kent for enquiry after such as had embezelled the Plate and Goods belonging to Chauntries c. given by the Parliament to the King and converting them to their own uses But this being somewhat an odious Work he was not very forward to enter upon especially because he thought whatsoever he and the other Commissioners should recover would be but swallowed up by the Duke of Northumberland and his Friends and the King be little the better But because he did not make more haste he was charged by his Enemies at Court as a neglecter of the King's Business Which cost him a Letter in excuse of himself to the said Duke signifying that he omitted this Business a while till the Gentlemen and Justices of Peace of Kent who where then mostly at London were come home Decemb. 2. A Letter was sent from the Council to the Arch-bishop to grant out a Warrant Ad Installandum for the Bishop of VVorcester and Glocester without paying any Fees for the same because he paid Fees for another Mandate which served to no purpose Febr. 20. An Order was sent to the Arch-bishop from the Council to examine the Vicar of Beden in the County of Berks according to an Information inclosed and to advertise the Lords of his Proceedings therein What this Vicar's Crime was I know not but I observe about these Times the Priests and Curats were very busy Men and would take liberty sometimes to speak against the King's Proceedings or his Arch-bishop with bitterness enough and sometimes to vent fond Opinions so that oftentimes they were fetched up to the Council-board and after an Appearance or two referred to the Arch-bishop to examine and punish as being Matters relating to Religion and so proper for his Cognizance About the latter end of this Year Thomas Sampson was preferred to the Deanery of Chichester having been Parson of Alhallowes-Bredstreet London February the 2 d A Letter was sent from the Privy-Council to the Arch-bishop to bestow the said Living upon Mr. Knox who was one of the King's Chaplains and in good esteem in the Court for his Gift of Preaching This Knox was the Man whose Name was so dashed in the King's Journal where the Names of the King 's six Chaplains were inserted that Bishop Burnet could not read it The Council bare a great favour to him as appears by those several Letters they wrote in his behalf One was mentioned before sent to the Arch-bishop for a Living in London but in that Knox succeeded not the Arch-bishop preferring Laurence Saunders afterwards a Martyr thereunto Knox being sent this Year into the North one of the King 's Itinerary Preachers a Warrant dated Octob. 27 was granted from the Council to four Gentlemen to pay to him his Majesty's Preacher in the North so he is stiled forty Pounds as his Majesty's Reward And again Decemb. 9 a Letter was sent from the Council to the Lord VVharton who was Lord VVarden in the Northern Borders in commendation of Mr. Knox. And the next Year viz. 1553 being returned out of the North and being then in Buckinghamshire that he might find the more acceptance and respect there the
of London and immediately dispatched the Earl of Arundel and the Lord Paget unto her with a Letter writ from Baynard's-Castle where they now were removed from the Tower In which Letter they beg her Pardon and to remit their former Infirmities and assure her calling God to witness to the same that they were ever in their Hearts her true Subjects since the King's Death but could not utter their Minds before that time without great Destruction and Bloodshed of themselves and others The Copy of this Letter may be read in the Appendix The same day the Council wrote to the Duke of Northumberland their Letters dated from VVestminster sent by an Herald Wherein the Duke was commanded and charged in Q. Mary's Name to disarm and discharge his Souldiers and to forbear his return to the City until the Queen's Pleasure And the same was to be declared to the Marquess of Northampton and all other Gentlemen that were with him The Herald was also by virtue of his Letters from the Council to notify in all Places where he came That if the Duke did not submit himself to the Queen's Highness he should be taken as a Traitor and they of the late King's Council would persecute him to his utter Confusion And thus far our Arch-bishop went For this was signed by him and the Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellor the Marquess of VVinchester the Duke of Suffolk the Earls of Bedford Shrewsbury Pembrook the Lord Darcy Sir Richard Cotton Petre and Cecyl Secretaries Sir Iohn Baker Sir Iohn Mason Sir Robert Bowes The Duke saw it in vain to oppose and so submitted to this Order And the Plot that his â—mbition had been framing so long and with so much Art fell on a sudden Very speedily Queen Mary was owned Abroad as well as at Home Dr. VVotton Dean of Canterbury Sir VVilliam Pickering Sir Thomas Chaloner Ambassadors in France writ their Letters to her and the Council acknowledging her and ceasing any further to act as Ambassadors She continued Dr. VVotton and sent for Pickering and Chaloner Home and sent Sir Anthony St. Leger the beginning of August Ambassador thither joined with VVotton This Determination the Council August 12 signified to the said three Ambassadors But now to cast our Eyes upon the State of Religion at this Time Upon this Access of Queen Mary to the Crown whose Interest as well as Education made her a Zealous Papist the good Progress of Religion was quite overthrown and the pious Arch-bishop's Pains and long Endeavours in a great measure frustrated and he himself soon after exercised with great Afflictions The first pretended Occasion of which was this It was reported Abroad soon after King Edward's Death that the Arch-bishop had offered to sing the Mass and Requiem at the Burial of that King either before the Queen or at S. Paul's Church or any where else and that he had said or restored Mass already in Canterbury This indeed had the Suffragan of Dover Dr. Thornton done but without the Arch-bishop's Consent or knowledg But however such good Impressions of Religion had the Arch-bishop left at Canterbury that though Mass was set up there and Priests were through fear forced to say it yet it was utterly contrary to their Wills And about New-years-tide there was a Priest said Mass there one Day and the next came into the Pulpit and desired all the People to forgive him For he said he had betrayed Christ but not as Judas did but Peter And then he made a long Sermon against the Mass. But the aforesaid slanderous report so troubled the Arch-bishop that to stay it he wrote a Letter to a Friend of his that he never made any promise of saying Mass nor that he did set up the Mass in Canterbury but that it was done by a false flattering lying Monk Dr. Thornden such a Character in his just Anger he gave him who was Suffragan of Dover and Vice-dean of that Church in the absence of Dr. Wotton who was then abroad in Embassy This Thornden saith my Manuscript writ but a few Years after by Scory or Becon as I conjecture was A Man having neither Wit Learning nor Honesty And yet his Wit is very ready For he preacheth as well extempore as at a Years warning so learnedly that no Man can tell what he chiefly intendeth or goeth about to prove so aptly that a gross of Points is not sufficient to ty his Sermon together Not unlike to Iodocus a Monk of whom Erasmus maketh mention in his Colloquies who if he were not garnished with these glorious Titles Monk Doctor Vice-dean and Suffragan were worthy to walk openly in the Streets with a Bell and Cocks-comb Besides this Letter the Arch-bishop resolved to do something in a more publick manner in vindication of the Reformation as well as of himself So he devised a Declaration Wherein he both apologized for himself against this false Report and made a brave Challenge with the assistance of Peter Martyr and a few more to maintain by Disputation with any Man the Reformation made under K. Edward This Declaration after a first draught of it he intended to enlarge and then being sealed with his own Seal to set it upon the Doors of S. Paul's Church and other Churches in London This Writing wherein the good Religion and Doctrine practised and taught in the former Reign was so nobly owned and offered to be defended in such a publick manner was not only read by some Body boldly in Cheapside but many Copies thereof were taken and so became dispersed It was also soon after printed in Latin and I suppose in English too Sure I am in the Year 1557 it was printed beyond Sea by the Exiles From which Print I shall here transcribe it being sent from Grindal to Iohn Fox for his use in the writing his History A Declaration of the Reverend Father in God Thomas Cranmer Arch-bishop of Canterbury condemning the untrue and slanderous Report of some which have reported That he should set up the Mass at Canterbury at the first coming of the Queen to her Reign 1553. AS the Devil Christ's antient Adversary is a Liar and the Father of Lying even so hath he stirred his Servants and Members to persecute Christ and his true Word and Religion Which he ceaseth not to do most earnestly at this present For whereas the most noble Prince of famous Memory King Henry VIII seeing the great Abuses of the Latin Masses reformed something herein in his Time and also our late Soveraign Lord K. Edward VI took the same whole away for the manifold Errors and Abuses thereof and restored in the place thereof Christ's Holy Supper according to Christ's own Institution and as the Apostles in the Primitive Church used the same in the beginning The Devil goeth about by lying to overthrow the Lord's Holy Supper and to restore the Latin Satisfactory Masses a thing of his own Invention and Device And
Oxford But with much ado For at first he was not only forbid to read his Lectures but not to stir a Foot out of the City of Oxon nor to convey any of his Goods away He obeyed and afterwards was permitted by the Council to depart He came first to Lambeth to the Arch-bishop but when he was committed to Prison Martyr went to London where he remained in great Danger both for his Religion and for his great Familiarity with the Arch-bishop and other pious Protestant Bishops However he thought not fit to transport himself without leave from the Government He signified to them that he came not hither on his own Head but that he was sent for by K. Edward and sent from the Town of Strasburgh And produced his Broad-seals from both And so since there was no further need of him he desired leave to depart Which he obtained by Letters from the Queen her self But the Papists his fatal Enemies cried out That such an Enemy of the Popish Religion ought not to be dismist but to be fetched out of the Ship and carried to Prison and punished He understood also by his Friends that when he was got over the Sea the Danger was not past For there were Snares for him in Flanders and Brabant whereby they made no doubt to take him But he used his Wits to save himself For when other Congregations of Protestant Strangers went straight some for Freezland and some for Denmark by Vessels they had hired among which was Iohn a Lasco's Congregation he procured an honest and godly Ship-master who kept him fourteen Days in his own House that so all might think he was gone with the other Strangers and his Enemies cease making search for him in the Vessels that were bound for Foreign Parts And then the Master sailed away with P. Martyr to Antwerp going into that Place by Night for the more privacy And by him he was brought to his Friends and by them before Day conveyed in a Waggon out of Town and so travelled safely through Countries that hated him unto Strasburgh And by God's Goodness and his own Celerity he arrived safe among his Friends who received him with the greatest Joy And the Senate conferred upon him his old Place which he enjoyed before he went for England And Martyr needed not to be discontented that he was gotten out of England considering how insufferably he was affronted undermined belied by the Popish Party in Oxon Who one would think might have better intreated a Man of Quality by Birth a Man besides of great Learning Integrity and Reverence and whom the King had thought good for his great Parts to place for his Professor of Divinity in that University and a Man who also had always carried himself inoffensively unto all The blame of this inhospitable Usage might lie upon the English Nation and be a Reflection upon the Natives were it not more truly to be laid to the furious Spirit that Popish Principles inspire Men with This Peter Martyr did resent and took notice of to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury in his Epistle Dedicatory before his Book of the Eucharist There he writes That he could not have thought there were any in the World unless he had found it that with such crafty Wiles deceitful Tricks and bitter Slanders would rage so against a Man that deserved no manner of Evil of them nor ever hurt any one of them either in Word or Deed. And yet they tore his Name with most shameless Lies and would never make an end And if they did thus rudely carry themselves towards him in K. Edward's Time what then may we conclude they would do when the Government favoured them In this first Year of Q. Mary a very foul Scandal was blown about of her that She was with Child by her Chancellor Bishop Gardiner however it was raised whether of her Enemies to render her odious or of some Zealots of Popish Religion to shew the desire they had of her Matching with him or some other round Roman Catholick as he was and for whom She carried a very great Reverence A great Reflection upon her Chastity and might have spoiled her Marriage It fled as far as Norfolk and there spred it self But such an infamous Report not being fit to be put up Henry Earl of Sussex being Lord Lieutenant of that County took upon him to examine this Scandal and to search it to the very first Reporter And so I find a Bill drawn in the Cotton-Library subscribed by that Earl's own Hand which set forth that Laurence Hunt of Disse in Norfolk came to Robert Lowdal Chief Constable and told him That he did hear say that the Queen's Majesty was with Child by the said Bishop and that his Wife did tell him so And when his Wife was examined She said She had it of one Sheldrake's Wife And when Sheldrake's Wife was examined She said She had it of her Husband And when he was examined he said he had it of one Wilby of Diss. And Wilby examined said he had it of one Iohn Smith of Cockstreet And Iohn Smith said he heard it of one Widow Miles And She being examined said she had it of two Men but what they were she could not tell nor where they dwelt And then after this Bill follow all their Examinations distinctly Which I suppose was drawn up for the Council signed with Sussex's Hand And what followed of this I know not Only in another Manuscript there is a Memorial of one Iohn Albone of Trunch in Norfolk who in the first of the Queen was indicted for saying that the Queen was with Child by Winchester A Parliament met this Year in the Month of October The Queen knew how difficult it would be to obtain her Purpose to overthrow all that had been established concerning Religion in her Brother's Days And therefore when this Parliament was to be summoned She impeached the free Election of Members by dispatching abroad into the several Counties her Letters directing the choice And such Knights and Burgesses were chosen by Force and Threatning for many Places as were judged fit to serve her Turn And divers that were duly chosen and lawfully returned were thrust out and others without any Order or Law put in their Places For the People were aware what the Queen intended this Parliament should do and therefore did bestir themselves in most Places to return honest Men. In the Upper House Taylor Bishop of Lincoln was in his Robes violently thrust out of the House In the House of Commons Alexander Nowel and two more chosen Burgesses lawfully chosen returned and admitted were so served Which according to the Judgment of some made the Parliament actually void as by a Precedent of the Parliament holden at Coventry in the 38 o of H. VI. it appeareth As also her third Parliament was reckoned by many to be void because in the Writs from Philip and Mary part of the Title of the
first made an Oration directed unto the Arch-bishop at the opening of his Commission Next Dr. Martin made a short Speech and being with Dr. Story appointed the King's and Queen's Attorneys he offered unto the said Bishop their Proxy sealed with the Broad-Seal of England and then presenting himself to be Proctor on their behalf After that he proceeded to exhibit certain Articles against the Arch-bishop containing Adultery and Perjury the one for being Married the other for breaking his Oath to the Pope Also he exhibited Books of Heresy made partly by him and partly by his Authority published And so produced him as a Party principal to answer to his Lordship After this having leave given him the Arch-bishop beginning with the Lord's Prayer and Creed made a long and learned Apology for himself Which is preserved to Posterity in the Acts and Monuments By his Discourse before the Commissioners it appeared how little he was taken with the splendor of worldly Things For he professed That the loss of his Promotions grieved him not He thanked God as heartily for that poor and afflicted State in which he then was as ever he did for the Times of his Prosperity But that which stuck closest to him as he said and created him the greatest Sorrow was to think that all that Pains and Trouble that had been taken by K. Henry and himself for so many Years to retrieve the Antient Authority of the Kings of England and to vindicate the Nation from a Foreign Power and from the Baseness and infinite Inconveniences of crouching to the Bishops of Rome should now thus easily be quite undone again And therefore he said all his Trouble at that time and the greatest that ever he had in his Life was to see the King and Queen's Majesties by their Proctors there to become his Accusers and that in their own Realm and Country before a Foreign Power For that if he had transgressed the Laws of the Land their Majesties had sufficient Authority and Power both from God and the Ordinance of the Realm to punish him Whereunto he would be at all times content to submit himself At this time of his Trial several Interrogatories were administred unto him to make answer to As concerning his Marriage Concerning his setting abroad Heresies and making and publishing certain Books of Heresy To which he confessed That the Catechism and the Book of Articles and the Book against Bishop Gardiner were of his doing Concerning subscribing those Articles and his compelling Persons to subscribe Which he denied but that he exhorted them that were willing to subscribe he acknowledged Concerning his open maintaining his Errors in Oxon Whereas they brought him to the Disputation themselves Concerning his being noted with the Infamy of Schism and that he moved the King and Subjects of his Realm to recede from the Catholick Church and See of Rome Which he acknowledged but that their Departure or Recess had in it no matter of Schism Concerning his being twice sworn to the Pope And Dr. Martin then shewed a Copy of his Protestation against the Pope at his Consecration under a publick Notary's Hand That he took upon him the See of Rome in consecrating Bishops and Priests without Leave or Licence from the said See To which he answered That it was permitted to him by the Publick Laws of the Realm Concerning his standing out still to subscribe to the Pope's Authority when the whole Nation had This being done a publick Notary entred his Answers Then the Bishop of Glocester made another Speech at breaking up of this Meeting and Dr. Story another reflecting upon what Cranmer had said with Reviling and Taunts The last thing they did at this Meeting was to swear several Persons who were the next Day to declare what they knew or could remember against this Reverend Father And these were Dr. Marshal Dean of Christ's-Church a most furious and zelotical Man and who to shew his spight against the Reformation had caused Peter Martyr's Wife who deceased while he was the King's Professor to be taken out of her Grave and buried in his Dunghil Dr. Smith Publick Professor who had recanted most solemnly in K. Edward's Days and to whom the Arch-bishop was a good Friend yet not long afterwards he wrote against his Book and was now sworn a Witness against him Dr. Tresham a Canon of Christ-Church who was one of the Disputers against Cranmer and had said in his Popish Zeal That there were 600 Errors in his Book of the Sacrament Dr. Crook Mr. London a Relation I suppose of Dr. London who came to shame for his false Accusation of Cranmer and others in K. Henry's Reign and now this Man 't is like was willing to be even with Cranmer for his Relation's sake Mr. Curtop another Canon of Christ's-Church formerly a great Hearer of P. Martyr Mr. Ward Mr. Serles the same I suppose who belonged to the Church of Canterbury and had been among the number of the Conspirators against him in K. Henry's Days And these being sworn the Arch-bishop was allowed to make his Exceptions against any of them Who resolutely said He would admit none of them all being perjured Men having sworn against the Pope and now received and defended him And that therefore they were not in Christian Religion And so the good Father was remitted back for that time to Prison again I know not what the Depositions of these Witnesses were given in against him the next Day For Fox relates nothing thereof nor any other as I know of Doubtless they were some of the Doctrines that he preached or taught or defended in Canterbury formerly or more lately in his Disputations in the Schools or in his Discourses in his Prison or at Christ's-Church where he sometimes was entertained But to all that was objected against him he made his Answers And the last thing they of this Commission did was to cite him to appear at Rome within eighty Days to make there his Answer in Person Which he said He would be content to do if the King and Queen would send him And so he was again remanded back to durance where he still remained And an account of what these Commissioners had done was dispatched to Rome forthwith From whence the final Sentence was sent in December next Then Pope Paul sent his Letters Executory unto the King and Queen and to the Bishops of London and Ely to degrade and deprive him and in the end of those fourscore Days he was declared Contumax as wilfully absenting himself from Rome when he was summoned to go though he was detained in Prison which might have been a lawful and just Excuse But these Matters must proceed in their Form whatsoever Absurdity or Falsehood there were in them By these Letters Executory which are in the first Edition of Fox but omitted in all the rest we may collect how the Process went against Cranmer at Rome which I shall here briefly set down
Advice of certain Learned Men. Another was that he had been the great setter forth of all this Heresy received into the Church in this last Time had written in it had disputed had continued it even to the last Hour and that it had never been seen in this Realm but in the time of Schism that any Man continuing so long hath been pardoned and that it was not to be remitted for Ensamples-sake Other Causes he alledged but these were the chief why it was not thought good to pardon him Other Causes beside he said moved the Queen and the Council thereto which were not meet and convenient for every one to understand them The second Part touched the Audience how they should consider this thing That they should hereby take example to fear God and that there was no Power against the Lord having before their Eyes a Man of so high Degree sometime one of the chiefest Prelates of the Church an Arch-bishop the chief of the Council the second Peer in the Realm of long time a Man as might be thought in greatest assurance a King of his side notwithstanding all his Authority and Defence to be debased from an high Estate to a low Degree of a Counsellor to be a Caitiff and to be set in so wretched Estate that the poorest Wretch would not change Conditions with him The last and End appertained unto him Whom he comforted and encouraged to take his Death well by many places of Scripture And with these and such bidding him nothing mistrust but he should incontinently receive that the Thief did To whom Christ said Hodiè mecum eris in Paradiso And out of S. Paul armed him against the Terrors of the Fire by this Dominus fidelis est Non sinet nos tentari ultra quam ferre potestis By the Example of the three Children to whom God made the Flame seem like a pleasant Dew He added hereunto the Rejoicing of S. Andrew in his Cross the Patience of S. Laurence on the Fire Ascertaining him that God if he called on him and to such as die in his Faith either will abate the fury of the Flame or give him Strength to abide it He glorified God much in his Conversion because it appeared to be only his Work Declaring what Travel and Conference had been used with him to convert him and all prevailed not till it pleased God of his Mercy to reclaim him and call him Home In discouring of which place he much commended Cranmer and qualified his former Doing And I had almost forgotten to tell you that Mr. Cole promised him that he should be prayed for in every Church in Oxford and should have Mass and Dirige Sung for him and spake to all the Priests present to say Mass for his Soul When he had ended his Sermon he desired all the People to pray for him Mr. Cranmer kneeling down with them and praying for himself I think there was never such a number so earnestly praying together For they that hated him before now loved him for his Conversion and hope of Continuance They that loved him before could not sodenly hate him having hope of his Confession again of his Fall So Love and Hope encreased Devotion on every side I shall not need for the time of Sermon to describe his Behaviour his Sorrowful Countenance his heavy Chear his Face bedewed with Tears sometime lifting his Eyes to Heaven in Hope sometime casting them down to the Earth for Shame To be brief an Image of Sorrow the Dolor of his Heart bursting out at his Eyes in plenty of Tears Retaining ever a quiet and grave Behaviour Which encreased the Pity in Mens Hearts that they unfeignedly loved him hoping it had been his Repentance for his Transgression and Error I shall not need I say to point it out unto you you can much better imagine it your self When Praying was done he stood up and having leave to speak said Good People I had intended indeed to desire you to pray for me which because Mr. Doctor hath desired and you have done already I thank you most heartily for it And now will I pray for my self as I could best devise for mine own comfort and say the Prayer word for word as I have here written it And he read it standing and after kneeled down and said the Lord's Prayer and all the People on their Knees devoutly praying with him His Prayer was thus O Father of Heaven O Son of God Redeemer of the World O Holy Ghost proceeding from them both Three Persons and one God have Mercy upon me most wretched Caitiff and miserable Sinner I who have offended both Heaven and Earth and more grievously than any Tongue can express whither then may I go or whither should I fly for succor To Heaven I may be ashamed to lift up mine Eyes and in Earth I find no refuge What shall I then do shall I despair God forbid O good God thou art Merciful and refusest none that come unto thee for Succour To thee therefore do I run To thee do I humble my self saying O Lord God my Sins be great but yet have Mercy upon me for thy great Mercy O God the Son thou wast not made Man this great Mystery was not wrought for few or small Offences Nor thou didst not give thy Son unto Death O God the Father for our little and small Sins only but for all the greatest Sins of the World so that the Sinner return unto thee with a penitent Heart as I do here at this present Wherefore have Mercy upon me O Lord whose Property is always to have Mercy For although my Sins be great yet thy Mercy is greater I crave nothing O Lord for mine own Merits but for thy Name 's Sake that it may be glorified thereby and for thy dear Son Jesus Christ's Sake And now therefore Our Father which art in Heaven c. Then rising he said Every Man desireth good People at the time of their Deaths to give some good Exhortation that other may remember after their Deaths and be the better thereby So I beseech God grant me Grace that I may speak something at this my departing whereby God may be glorified and you edified First It is an heavy case to see that many Folks be so much doted upon the Love of this false World and so careful for it that or the Love of God or the Love of the World to come they seem to care very little or nothing therefore This shall be my first Exhortation That you set not over-much by this false glosing World but upon God and the World to come And learn to know what this Lesson meaneth which S. Iohn teacheth That the Love of this World is Hatred against God The Second Exhortation is That next unto God you obey your King and Queen willingly and gladly without murmur or grudging And not for fear of them only but much more for the Fear of God Knowing
that they be God's Ministers appointed by God to Rule and Govern you And therefore whoso resisteth them resisteth God's Ordinance The third Exhortation is That you Love all together like Brethren and Sistern For alas pity it is to see what Contention and Hatred one Christian-Man hath to another Not taking each other as Sisters and Brothers but rather as Strangers and mortal Enemies But I pray you learn and bear well away this one Lesson To do good to all Men as much as in you lieth and to hurt no Man no more than you would hurt your own natural and loving Brother or Sister For this you may be sure of that whosoever hateth any Person and goeth about maliciously to hinder or hurt him surely and without all doubt God is not with that Man although he think himself never so much in God's Favour The fourth Exhortation shall be to them that have great Substance and Riches of this World That they will well consider and weigh those Sayings of the Scripture One is of our Saviour Christ himself who saith It is hard for a Rich Man to enter into Heaven A sore saying and yet spoke by him that knew the Truth The second is of S. Iohn whose saying is this He that hath the Substance of this World and seeth his Brother in Necessity and shutteth up his Mercy from him how can he say he loveth God Much more might I speak of every part but Time sufficeth not I do but put you in remembrance of things Let all them that be Rich ponder well those Sentences For if ever they had any Occasion to shew their Charity they have now at this present the poor People being so many and Victuals so dear For though I have been long in Prison yet I have heard of the great Penury of the Poor Consider that that which is given to the Poor is given to God Whom we have not otherwise present corporally with us but in the Poor And now for so much as I am come to the last End of my Life whereupon hangeth all my Life passed and my Life to come either to live with my Saviour Christ in Heaven in Joy or else to be in Pain ever with wicked Devils in Hell and I see before mine Eyes presently either Heaven ready to receive me or Hell ready to swallow me up I shall therefore declare unto you my very Faith how I believe without Colour or Dissimulation For now is no time to dissemble whatsoever I have written in Times past First I believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth c. and every Article of the Catholick Faith every Word and Sentence taught by our Saviour Christ his Apostles and Prophets in the Old and New Testament And now I come to the great Thing that troubleth my Conscience more than any other thing that ever I said or did in my Life and that is the setting abroad of Writings contrary to the Truth Which here now I renounce and refuse as things written with my Hand contrary to the Truth which I thought in my Heart and writ for fear of Death and to save my Life if it might be and that is all such Bills which I have written or signed with mine own Hand since my Degradation wherein I have written many things untrue And forasmuch as my Hand offended in writing contrary to my Heart therefore my Hand shall first be punished For if I may come to the Fire it shall be first burned And as for the Pope I refuse him as Christ's Enemy and Antichrist with all his false Doctrine And here being admonished of his Recantation and Dissembling he said Alas my Lord I have been a Man that all my Life loved Plainness and never dissembled till now against the Truth which I am most sorry for He added hereunto That for the Sacrament he believed as he had taught in his Book against the Bishop of Winchester And here he was suffered to speak no more So that his Speech contained chiefly three points Love to God Love to the King and Love to the Neighbour In the which talk he held Men very suspense which all depended upon the Conclusion Where he so far deceived all Mens Expectations that at the hearing thereat they were much amazed and let him go on a while till my Lord Williams bad him play the Christen Man and remember himself To whom he answered That he so did For now he spake Truth Then he was carried away and a great number that did Run to see him go so wickedly to his Death ran after him exhorting him while Time was to remember himself And one Friar Iohn a godly and well-learned Man all the way travelled with him to reduce him But it would not be What they said in particular I cannot tell but the Effect appeared in the End For at the Stake he professed that he died in all such Opinions as he had taught and oft repented him of his Recantation Coming to the Stake with a chearful Countenance and willing Mind he put off his Garments with haste and stood upright in his Shirt And a Batcheler of Divinity named Elye of Brazen-nose-College laboured to convert him to his former Recantation with the two Spanish Friars But when the Friars saw his Constancy they said in Latin one to another Let us go from him We ought not to be nigh him For the Devil is with him But the Batcheler in Divinity was more earnest with him Unto whom he answered That as concerning his Recantation he repented it right sore because he knew it was against the Truth with other words more Whereupon the Lord Williams cryed Make short Make short Then the Bishop took certain of his Friends by the Hand But the Bachelor of Divinity refused to take him by the Hand and blamed all others that so did and said He was sorry that ever he came in his Company And yet again he required him to agree to his former Recantation And the Bishop answered shewing his Hand This is the Hand that wrote it and therefore shall it suffer first Punishment Fire being now put to him he stretched out his right Hand and thrust it into the Flame and held it there a good space before the Fire came to any other Part of his Body where his Hand was seen of every Man sensibly burning crying with a loud Voice This Hand hath offended As soon as the Fire got up he was very soon Dead never stirring or crying all the while His Patience in the Torment his Courage in dying if it had been taken either for the Glory of God the Wealth of his Country or the Testimony of Truth as it was for a pernicious Error and subversion of true Religion I could worthily have commended the Example and matched it with the Fame of any Father of antient Time but seeing that not the Death but the Cause and Quarrel thereof commendeth the Sufferer I cannot but much
losing of Promotion nor hope of Gain or winning of Favour could move him to relent or give place unto the Truth of his Conscience As experience thereof well appeared as well in defence of the true Religion against the Six Articles in the Parliament as in that he offered to combate with the Duke of Northumberland in K. Edward's Time speaking then on behalf of his Prince for the staying of the Chauntries until his Highness had come unto lawful Age and that especially for the maintenance of his better State then But if at his Prince's Pleasure in case of Religion at any time he was forced to give place that was done with such humble Protestation and so knit up for the safeguard of his Faith and Conscience that it had been better his Good-will had never been requested than so to relent or give over as he did Which most dangerously besides sundry times else he especially attempted when the Six Articles past by Parliament and when my L. Crumwel was in the Tower At what time the Book of Articles of our Religion was new penned For even at that Season the whole Rabblement which he took to be his Friends being Commissioners with him forsook him and his Opinion and Doctrine And so leaving him Post alone revolted altogether on the part of Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester As by Name Bishop Hethe Shaxton Day and all other of the meaner sort By whom these so named were chiefly advanced and preferred unto Dignities And yet this sudden Inversion notwithstanding God gave him such Favour with his Prince that Book altogether past by his Assertion against all their Minds More to be marvelled at the Time considered than by any Reason to compass how it should come to pass For then would there have been laid thousands of Pounds to Hundreds in London that he should before that Synod had been ended have been shut up in the Tower beside his Friend the Lord Crumwel Howbeit the King's Majesty having an assured and approved affiance of his both deep Knowledg in Religion and Fidelity both to God and Him suspected in that time other Men in their Judgments not to walk uprightly nor sincerely For that some of them swerved from their former Opinions in Doctrine And having great experience of the constancy of the Lord Cranmer it drave him all along to join with the said Lord Cranmer in the confirmation of his Opinion and Doctrin against all the rest to their great Admiration For at all Times when the King's Majesty would be resolved in any Doubt or Question he would but send word to my Lord over Night and by the next Day the King would have in writing brief Notes of the Doctors Minds as well Divines as Lawyers both Old and New with a Conclusion of his own Mind Which he could never get in such a readiness of any no not of all his Chaplains and Clergy about him in so short a Time For being thorowly seen in all kinds of Expositors he could incontinently lay open thirty forty sixty or more some whiles of Authors And so reducing the Notes of them altogether would advertise the King more in one Day than all his Learned Men could do in a Month. And it was no mervail for it was well known that commonly if he had not Business of the Prince's or special urgent Causes before him he spent three parts of the Day in Study as effectually as he had done at Cambridg And therefore it was that the King said on a time to the Bishop of Winchester the King and my said Lord of Winchester defending together that the Canons of the Apostles were of as good Authority as the four Evangelists contrary to my Lord Cranmer's Assertion My Lord of Canterbury said the King is too old a Truant for us twain Again His Estimation was such with his Prince that in Matters of great Importance wherein no Creature durst once move the King for fear of Displeasure or moving the King's Patience or otherwise for troubling his Mind then was my Lord Cranmer most violently by the whole Council obtruded and thrust out to undertake that Danger and Peril in Hand As beside many other times I remember twice he served the Council's Expectation The first time was when he staied the King 's determinate Mind and Sentence in that he fully purposed to send the Lady Mary his Daughter unto the Tower and there to suffer as a Subject because She would not obey the Laws of the Realm in refusing the Bishop of Rome's Authority and Religion Whose stay in that behalf the King then said unto the Lord Cranmer would be to his utter Confusion at the length The other dangerous Attempt was in the disclosing the unlawful Behaviour of Queen Katharine Howard towards the King in keeping unlawful Company with Durrant her Servant For the King's Affection was so mervailously set upon that Gentlewoman as it was never known that he had the like to any Woman So that no Man durst take in Hand to open to him that Wound being in great perplexity how he would take it And then the Council had no other Refuge but unto my Lord Cranmer Who with over-much Importunity gave the Charge which was done with such Circumspection that the King gave over his Affections unto Reason and wrought mervellous colourably for the Trial of the same Now as concerning the Manner and Order of his Hospitality and House-keeping As he was a Man abandoned from all kind of Avarice so was he content to maintain Hospitality both liberally and honourably and yet not surmounting the Limits of his Revenues Having more respect and foresight unto the Iniquity of the Times being inclined to pull and spoil from the Clergy than to his own private Commodity For else if he had not so done he was right sure that his Successors should have had as much Revenues left unto them as were left unto the late Abbies Especially considering that the Lands and Revenues of the said Abbies being now utterly consumed and spread abroad and for that there remained no more Exercise to set on work or no Officers but Surveyors Auditors and Receivers it was high time to shew an Example of liberal Hospitality For although these said Workmen only brought up and practised in subverting of Monastical Possessions had brought that kind of Hospitality unto utter Confusion yet ceased they not to undermine the Prince by divers Perswasions for him also to overthrow the honourable State of the Clergy And because they would lay a sure Foundation to build their Purpose upon they found the Means to put into the King's Head That the Arch-bishop of Canterbury kept no Hospitality or House correspondent unto his Revenues and Dignity but sold his Woods and by great Incomes and Fines made Money to purchase Lands for his Wife and Children And to the intent that the King should with the more facility believe this Information Sir Thomas Seymor the
Duke of Somerset's Brother being one of the Privy-Chamber was procured to take this Matter in hand And before he informed the King thereof he blasted it abroad in the Court Insomuch that the Gentlemen and he fell out for the same They declare That his Report was manifestly false as well for the keeping of his House as for the purchasing Lands for his Wife and Children This notwithstanding Mr. Seymor went through with his Information and declared unto the King as is before declared The King hearing this Tale with the Sequel that was That it was meet for the Bishops not to be troubled ne vexed with Temporal Affairs in ruling their Honours Lordships and Manors but rather they having an honest Pension of Money yearly allowed unto them for their Hospitality should surrender unto the King's Majesty all their Royalties and Temporalties said I do marvel that it is said my Lord of Canterbury should keep no good Hospitality for I have heard the contrary And so with a few more Commendations of my Lord as one that little regarded the Suit but yet as it appeared afterward something smelling what they went about left off any further to talk of that Matter and converted his Communication to another Purpose Notwithstanding within a Month after whether it was of Chance or of Purpose it is unknown the King going to Dinner called Mr. Seymour unto him and said Go ye straightways unto Lambeth and bid my Lord of Canterbury come and speak with me at two of the Clock at Afternoon Incontinently Mr. Seymor came to Lambeth and being brought into the Hall by the Porter it chanced the Hall was set to Dinner And when he was at the Skreen and perceived the Hall furnished with three principal Messes beside the rest of the Tables thorowly set having a guilty Conscience of his untrue Report made to the King recoâ—led back and would have gone in to my Lord by the Chappel-way Mr. Nevyl being Steward perceiving that rose up and went after him and declared unto him that he could not go that way and so brought him back unto my Lord through the Hall And when he came to my Lord and had done his Message my Lord caused him to sit down and dine with him But making a short Dinner because he would bring the King word again of his Message he departed and came to the King before he was risen from the Table When he came to the King's Presence said the King Will my Lord of Canterbury come to Us He will wait on your Majesty said Mr. Seymor at two of the Clock Then said the King had my Lord dined before you came No forsooth said Mr. Seymor for I found him at Dinner Well said the King What Chear made he you With these words Mr. Seymor kneeled down and besought the King's Majesty of Pardon What is the matter said the King I do remember said Mr. Seymor that I told your Highness that my Lord of Canterbury kept no Hospitality correspondent unto his Dignity and now I perceive that I did abuse your Highness with an Untruth For besides your Grace's House I think he be not in the Realm of none Estate or Degree that hath such a Hall furnished or that fareth more honourably at his own Table Ah said the King have you spied your own Fault now I assure your Highness said Mr. Seymor it is not so much my Fault as other Mens who seemed to be honest Men that enformed me hereof But I shall henceforth the worse trust them while they live Then said the King I knew your Purpose well enough you have had among you the Commodities of the Abbies which you have consumed Some with superfluous Apparel some at Dice and Cards and other ungracious Rule And now you would have the Bishops Lands and Revenues to abuse likewise If my Lord of Canterbury keep such a Hall as you say being neither Term nor Parliament he is merely well visited at those Times I warrant you And if the other Bishops kept the like for their Degree they had not need to have any thing taken from them but rather to be added and holpen And therefore set your Hearts at rest there shall no such Alteration be made while I live said the King So that in very deed where some had penned certain Books for the altering that State in the next Parliament they durst never bring them forth to be read Whereupon it also came to pass that when the King understood that contrary unto the Report my Lord of Canterbury had purchased no Lands his Highness was content upon the only Motion of Dr. Butts without my Lord Cranmer's Knowledg That he should have the Abbey in Nottinghamshire which his Wife now enjoyeth Thus much I have declared concerning Mr. Seymor's Practice to the intent Men may understand that my Lord Cranmer's Hospitality was a mean to stay the Estate of the Clergy in their Possessions CHAP. XXXI Arch-bishop Cranmer preserved the Revenues of his See AND here I must answer for my Lord Cranmer against certain Objections which are in divers Mens Heads That by his Means all the Preferments Offices and Farmes are so given and let out that his Successors have nothing to give or bestow upon their Friends and Servants nor that such Hospitality can be kept by reason of his Fault in letting go such things as should have maintained Provisions of Household But to answer this in a few words before I descend to any particular Declaration It is most true that if he had not well behaved himself towards his Prince and the World his Successors should not been cumbred with any piece of Temporal Revenues either Lands Woods or other Revenues And I pray God they may maintain in this mild and quiet Time that which he in a most dangerous World did uphold and left to his Successors Yet for better declaration in answering to those Objections it is to be considered that when he entred upon his Dignity every Man about the King made means to get some Reversion of Farmes or of other Office of him In so much that the King himself made means to him for one or two things before he was Consecrated as for the Farm of Wingham-Barton Which was granted unto Sir Edward Bainton Kt. for fourscore and nineteen Years When my Lord perceived that in such Suits as he granted to the King and Queen Men would needs have an hundred Years save one he wrote to the Chapter of Christ-Church and willed them in any Condition not to confirm any more of his Grants of Leases which were above one and twenty Years By this means much Suit was stopped So that in very deed he gave out his Leases but for one and twenty Years Which would not satisfy the greedy Appetites of some Men And therefore they found a Provision for it For when my Lord had let out certain goodly Farmes at Pinner Heyes Harrow on the Hill Mortlake c. to the number of ten or
a firm Purpose to conform himself thereunto and so continue to proceed from time to time shewing himself a sober and fruitful Hearer and Learner This whole Preface for the Antiquity and Usefulness of it and to preserve as much as we can of the Writings of this most Reverend Man I have transcribed and placed in the Appendix The Edition in the Year 1540 had a remarkable Frontispiece before it Which because it is somewhat rare both in regard of the Antiquity and Device of it I will relate In the upper â—art thereof you see King Henry VIII sitting in State guarded on each hand of him with the Lords Spiritual and Temporal holding in his right Hand a Bible closed which he delivered unto Arch-bishop Cranmer being on his Knee in the Name of the rest of the Bishops all which stood at his right Hand bare-headed their Mitres lying up-the Ground in token of their Acknowledgment of the King's Supremacy and this Motto issuing out of the King's Mouth Haec praecipe doce Holding also in his left Hand another Bible stretched towards the Lords Temporal and delivered to one whom I suppose to be intended for the Lord Crumwel at the head of them standing on the left Side and this Word coming out of the King's Mouth towards them Quod justum est judicate and this Ita parvum audietis ut magnum and this A me constitutum est decretum ut in Vniverso Imperio Regno meo homines revereantur paveant Deum Viventem Among these Nobles is the Figure of one on his Knees and these Words issuing out of his Mouth Verbum tuum Lucerna pedibus meis Over the King's Head is the Figure of God Almighty sitting in the Clouds with these Words coming out of his Mouth in a Scrole towards the right Hand Verbum quod egredietur de me non revertetur ad me vacuum sed faciet quaecunque volui And in another Scrole towards the Left with his Hand pointing to the King Ecce servum qui faciet omnes voluntates meas Underneath the Bishops there is another Figure representing Arch-bishop Cranmer his Coat of Arms by him with the distinction of a Crescent He stood with his Mitre on his Head and dress'd in his Pontificalibus his Chaplain behind him and a Priest with a Tonsure kneeling before him in the posture of a Candidate for Priests Orders and having his Hand stretched out to receive the Bible offered him by the Arch-bishop and out of his Mouth this Scrole Pascite qui in vobis est gregem Christi On the other Side opposite to the Arch-bishop and underneath the Lords Temporal stood another Person whom I conjecture to be the Lord Crumwel with his Shield by him blank without any bearing and out of his Mouth came Diverte a malo sequere pacem persequere In the lowest part of this Fronticepiece you have the resemblance of a Priest preaching out of a Pulpit before a great Auditory of Persons of all Ranks Qualities Orders Sexes Ages Men Women Children Nobles Priests Souldiers Tradesmen Countrymen Out of the Mouth of the Preacher went this Verse Obsecro igitur primum omnium fieri obsecrationes orationes postulationes gratiarum actiones pro omnibus hominibus pro regibus c. Implying the Benefit accruing to Princes by the Peoples Knowledg of the Scriptures namely That it taught them to obey and pray for them And out of the Mouths of these Hearers of all sorts issued Vivat Rex Vivat Rex and out of the Mouths of the Children God save the King denoting the great Joy the People conceived for the enjoyment of God's Word and the preaching thereof and their Thankfulness to the King for his Permission of the same In the middle stood the Title of the Bible which was this The Bible in English that is to say The Contents of all the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament with a Prologue thereunto made by the Reverend Father in God Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury This is the Bible appointed to the Use of the Churches Printed by Richard Grafton Cum Privilegio ad imprimendum solum An. Dom. MDXL. CHAP. XXXIV Arch-bishop Cranmer compassionate towards Sufferers for Religion AS he had a great Love and Value for the eminent Professors and Patrons of the Gospel so he bare a most compassionate Spirit towards those that suffered for the sake of it It made a very greaâ— Impression upon him when he heard that Sir Iohn Cheke had been taken up and Indicted soon after Queen Mary's access to the Crown namely in the Month of August which was the next Month after And not knowing wherefore he was Indicted whether for his meddling in the Lady Iane's Business or for his Zeal in promoting Religion he earnestly desired Sir William Cecyl to inform him whether If for the former Considering as he said he had been none of the chief Doers in that Matter he hoped he should have been one of them that should have partaken of the Queen's Favour But if it were for the latter viz. his earnestness in Religion if he suffer for that said he Blessed is he of God that suffereth for his sake howsoever the World judg of him For what ought we to care for the Iudgment of the World when God absolves us But wishing most passionately withal That some means might be used for the Relief of him and the Lord Russel who it seems was clap'd up for the same Cause And indeed as our Arch-bishop was in the time of King Edward he was the same under King Henry that is the common Patron as far as he might or dared of such Priests who were drawn into Trouble for professing or preaching that Gospel So he shewed himself to Turner before-mentioned And in the Year 1533 or 1534 I find him in a Commission for the relieving of another that had been most straitly and rigorously handled by Stokesly then Bishop of London and his Chancellor His Name was Thomas Patmore Parson of Hadham in Hertfordshire a Learned and Godly Man who had by them been condemned to Imprisonment for Life together with the loss of his Benefice and Goods because he had perswaded his Curat to marry a Wife and being privy to his Marriage did nevertheless suffer him to officiate in his Church And because he had preached certain Doctrines at Cambridg as laying little stress upon the Pope's Curse and that we are saved only by God's Mercy and that all that are saved are saved by Faith and that it is against God's Law to burn Hereticks This poor Man after three Years close Imprisonment in Lollards-Tower by the Means of his Friends who put up frequent Petitions to the King and the Lady Ann Bolen was at last released and obtained of the King a Commission to our Arch-bishop to whom were joined Audley Lord Chancellor and Crumwel Secretary of State to enquire into his Injuries and unjust handling and to determine
would not be allowed any well-disposed Person to relieve his Necessity nor to give him an Alms a Privilege allowed any Beggar beside And when a Gentleman of Gloucestershire sensible of the Arch-bishop's Need and withal knowing how dangerous it was to give the poor Arch-bishop any Money had conveyed somewhat to the Bailiffs to be by their Hands bestowed on him Boner and Thirleby the two Bishops that degraded him staid this Gentleman intending to send him up to the Council had he not gotten off by the Intercession of some Friends CHAP. XXXV Some Account of Arch-bishop Cranmer's House-keeping BUT the more fully to confute this Calumny it will not be amiss to look more narrowly into his House-keeping His daily custom at Lambeth was to dine in a Room above where all Noble-men and Persons of better Quality that came to dine with him were entertained Here he was very honourably served both with Dishes and Attendants In the Hall the Table was every Day very plentifully furnished both for Houshold-Servants and Strangers with three or four principal head-Messes of Officers Besides the Relief of the Poor at his Gates And which is a very observable Charity as well as Hospitality he appropriated his Mansion-house at Bekesborn in Kent and his Parsonage-Barn for Harbour and Lodgings for the Poor Sick and Maimed Souldiers that came from the Wars of Bulloign and other Parts beyond Seas For these he also appointed an Almoner a Physician and a Chirurgeon to attend on them and to dress and administer Physick to such of them as were not able to resort to their own Countries Having also daily from his Kitchin hot Broth and Meat Besides the common Alms of his Houshold that were bestowed upon the poor People of the Country And when any of these were recovered and were able to travel they had Money given them to bear their Charges according to the number of Miles they were to pass before they got Home I do not know whether some might have taken Advantage thus to slander him from a laudable Endeavour of his to reduce within some Bounds the Provisions of Clergy-mens Tables which in the latter Times of King Henry the Eighth grew to great Excess and Extravagancy so unbecoming Spiritual Men. For in the Year 1541 the Arch-bishop with the Consent of the other Arch-bishop and most of the Bishops and divers other Deans and Arch-Deacons made a Constitution for moderating the Fare of their Tables viz. That Arch-bishops should not exceed six divers kinds of Flesh or as many Dishes of Fish on Fish-days A Bishop not above Five A Dean or Arch-Deacon Four and all under that Degree Three But an Arch-bishop was allowed at second Course to have four Dishes a Bishop Three and all others Two as Custards Tarts Fritters Cheese Apples Pears c. But if any of the inferior Clergy should entertain any Arch-bishop Bishop Dean or Arch-Deacon or any of the Laity of like Degree as Duke Marquess Earl Vicount Baron Lord Knight they might have such Provision as were meet for their Degree Nor was their Diet to be limited when they should receive an Ambassador to recommend I suppose to Foreigners the English Hospitality It was ordered also That of the greater Fish or Fowl as Cranes Swans Turkies Hadocks Pike Tench there should be but one in a Dish Of lesser Sorts than they as Capons Pheasants Conies Woodcocks but Two Of less sorts still as of Partridges an Arch-bishop Three a Bishop and other Degrees under him Two The Number of the Blackbirds were also stinted to Six at an Arch-bishop's Table and to Four for a Bishop And of little Birds as Larks Snytes c. the Number was not to exceed Twelve But so strongly bent were the Clergy in those Days to this sort of Sensuality that these Injunctions of our Arch-bishop were observed but two or three Months and so they returned to their old Superfluity again The Arch-bishop's pious Design hereby was only to curb Intemperance and unnecessary Prodigality in such upon whose Office those Vices cast such just Reflections but it could not reasonably argue any covetous Temper in him for that the Poor might not fare the worse for this Intrenchment of Exorbitant Hospitality but rather the better the Arch-bishop in these aforesaid Orders provided That whatsoever was spared out of the old House-keeping should not be pocketed up but laid out and spent in plain Meats for the Relief of poor People And that this Charge may still appear to be nothing but a meer detraction proceeding from Envy or some other ill Principle others there were that would blame him for the contrary Vice of too much lavishing and unprofitable Expence So hard a matter is it for the best Men to escape the spiteful and venomous Insinuations of the World But he patiently and with an even Mind bore all CHAP. XXXVI Arch-bishop Cranmer Humble Peaceable Bold in a good Cause FOR which is another thing to be remarked in him he was very Humble and Condescending and did not only bear to be reproved but was thankful for it and that even when the Reproof was undeserved Which was the more to be valued in him considering the Height and Dignity of his Calling To give an Instance or two of this When in the Year 1552 Cecyl had charged him with the Imputation of Covetousness as a Report that went of him in the Court and which himself seemed partly to believe begging withal Pardon of his Grace for his freedom with him Our Arch-bishop told him That as for the Admonition he took it very thankfully and that he had ever been most glad to be admonished by his Friends accounting no Man so foolish as he that would not hear friendly Admonishment And when at another time the same Cecyl who would always take the liberty to speak his Mind to his Friends whensoever he thought they wanted Counsel had signified to him the Hazard he incurred in not shewing more Compliance towards the Duke of Northumberland who now swayed all and then apologizing for his Boldness Cranmer was so far from taking this ill that he returned him his very hearty Thanks for his friendly Letter and Advertisements desiring him to be assured that he took the same in such good part and to proceed of such a friendly Mind as he ever looked for at his Hands and whereof he would not be unmindful if Occasion hereafter served to requite the same And this good Temper led him also to Gentleness and Lenity He was no Huffer nor Contender but of an exceeding peaceable and amicable Spirit Whereunto he was moved by the Reason of Policy as well as Religion Because he well saw how a contentious quarrelsome Disposition in great Men would be apt to give an ill Example unto Inferiors There happened once in the Year 1552 a Contest between him and the Lord-Warden of the Cinque-Ports who lived not far from him and so probably it might be about some worldly Matters
authority through the world And considering that the Bp. of Cant. beside al the Courts within his own Diocess keepeth in London a Court at the Arches sufficiently authorized to hear and to determine al causes and complaints appertaining to a Metropolitane why should he require this other Court of the Audience to keep it in London within the Church and jurisdiction of another Bp. except he mâ—nded to call other Bps. obedientially out of their jurisdiction contrary to the Act Or else at the lest forasmuch as this Court is kept within the Church and jurisdiction of London and the Arches Court within the city but not within the jurisdiction if he may not vex the Citizens and Diocesans of London at the Arches without an Appele first from the Ordinary immediately because of the Canon Lawes yet he might pul them to his Audience at Pauls as he did heretofore by his Legacy and yet offend not that Act made anno xxiij That no man shall be called out of his own Diocess And where the ABp saith that the Kings Grace bad him continue that Court stil it is to be marvelled that he then hath not in his Citations and other wrirings of that Court expressed or signified the same as he did cal himself in al his Writings Legatum Apostolicae Sedis long after that Act of the Abolishing NUM XVIII Archbishop Cranmers order concerning the Proctors of the Court of Arches shewn to be inconvenient by a Paper presented to the Parlament as followeth ALthough it be expedient that every thing which any way may be noyful unto the common wele be duely reformed yet is there nothing that should be rather looked upon for Reformation than such abuses as may be occasion of not indifferent ministration of justice Wherfore among so many things as heretofore hath been wel and condignely reformed touching other the Spiritualty or the Temporalty there is nothing that requireth speedyer Reformation than a certain Ordinance Lately procured in the Court of the Arches at London by the means of the Proctors there for the advancement of their singular wil only By which may and do come divers abuses in the said Court and occasion not indifferent ministration of justice and chargeable and prolix process there The effect whereof is this The Proctors of the said Court of Arches hath of late upon feigned suggestion surmised unto the most reverend Father in God my Lord Archbp. of Canterbury President and Head of the said Court to have been for the common wele and ease of his Provincialls induced his Grace to make such an Ordinance or Statute in the said Court of the Arches That wher heretofore there were in the same twenty or four and twenty Proctors and my said Lords G. at his liberty alwayes to admit mo or fewer Proctors there as should be seen expedient to his G. for the sufficient attending of the causes there depending for the time there shuld be from thenceforth no mo admitted Proctors there until the said nombre of Proctors than being there were decreased and come down to the nombre of Ten and than the said nombre of Ten Proctors never after to be exceeded And furthermore lest my said Lords G. might be advertised afterwards upon better causes and considerations to dissolve the said Statute as his Predecessors did alike other Statutes made in semblable cause long before the said Proctors knowing that his G. would as alwayes did apply himself to that thing that shuld be most profitable for the Common wele and intending to take away that liberty from him abusing also his G's benignity and good zeal to the restraint of his liberties and â—ulfilling of their covetous intent incontinently upon the obtaining of the said Statute procured the same to be confirmed by the Chapter and Convent of Christ's church in Canterbury So that by reason of the same confirmation my said Lords G. ne his Successors cannot as the said Proctors do pretend though they see never so good a cause therto infringe ne dissolve the same And so therby made in maner an Incorporation among them tho they call it not so Wherin be it considered whether they have first offended the King's Laws which do prohibit such Incorporations to be made without licence had of the King's Highness first thereunto And though all Incorporations in any mystery or faculty be not lightly to be admitted in this case wherupon depends good or evil ministration of justice most of al such Confederacies are to be eschued Also the said Statute is divers wayes noyful to the Commonwele of this Royalm and prejudicial to the King's G. Subjects in the same and occasion of divers abuses in the said Court hereafter to be declared But because the said Proctors are persuaded that my said Lord of Canterbury cannot himself Dissolve the same and seeing that no man wil lighty contend alone with al the said Proctors for the Dissolving thereof For though it touch every man generally no man singularly wil suppose the same to touch him so moche that he should for the impugnation of the same put himself in business against so many and so rich a company as the said Proctors be it were not only expedient but also necessary for the indifferent and speedy ministration of justice in the said Court that his said unreasonable Statute were infringed and dissolved by the authority of this present Parliament where al other abuses and excesses noyeful to the Commonwele ought to be reformed for these causes following First The said Statute is prejudicial unto the Commonwele because it is occasion of prolix sutes and superfluous delayes in the said Court else more necessary to be restrained than augmented For the said nombre of Ten Proctors appointed by the said Statute is unsufficient for the speedy and diligent attending of mens causes in the said Court tho al Ten were procuring there at once as it is not like but that three or four of the same shal bee alwayes impotent or absent For such they account also with the nombre of Ten. And besides that the same Ten or fewer that shal be onely procuring shal serve not onely for the said Court of the Arches but also for my said Lord of Canterburies Audience wherein be as many causes as in the Arches and for the Consistory of the Bp. of London For by the Statutes of both the same Courts of Audience and Consistory there is no man admitted to procure in the same unless he be a Proctor admitted first in the Arches So that so few Proctors appoynted for so many causes as shal be under travayl in al the said Courts can never be able to speed their business without great delayes taking For heretofore when there were in the said Court twenty Proctors continually occupying and more it hath been seen that divers of theym hath been than so overlayd with causes that they were driven to take oft and many delayes and Prorogations ad idem for to bring in their matiers
away and give place unto Romish Decrees And then by your own Article you hold and condemn your selves to be Heretics How be you bewitched by these false Papists Why do you suffer them thus to abuse you by their subtilty to make you condemn your selves of Heresy Why do you not send them unto the Kings Majesty like errant Traitors as indeed they be Saying unto him Most mighty Prince and most drad Soveraign Lord we present here unto you most heinous Traitors against your Majesty and realm and greatest Dissemblers and falsest Deceivers of us your Simple and ignorant people and yet in our own hearts your true and faithful Subjects We have erred We have grievously offended your Majesty but by ignorance being so seduced and provoked by the crafty persuasions of these most hainous Traitors that we wist not what we did But pardon us Soveraign Lord have pity upon our Simplicity and ignorance and these abominable Traitors punish according to their deservings Have mercy most merciful Prince of us your poor flock which were ignorantly led out of the way and strike with the Swords those malicious guides that purposely would have led us to our utter destruction If you did thus then would you do the parts of true faithful and loyal Subjects and should declare to the world that al that you have hitherto done was done by error and ignorance And I would nothing doubt of the Kings Majestie his Clemency and Mercy towards you But yet to the intent that you may further know how unreasonable your first Article is I wil yet reherse another sort of the holy Lawes and Decrees One is That no Lay man may have a Benefice to farm Another is That none of the Clergy may give any thing to the relief of the commonweal and necessity of their own realm without the consent of the Bp. of Rome Another is That no Lay man may meddle with election or any other thing that pertaineth unto any of the Clergy Another is That none of the Clergy ought to give any oath of fidelity to their Princes except they have temporal lands of them Another is That Princes ought to obey the Bps and the Decrees of the Church and to submit their Heads unto their Bps and not to be judges over the Bps. Another is Whosoever offendeth the Liberties of the Church or doth break any Interdiction that cometh from Rome or conspireth against the Person or Estate of the Bp. or See of Rome or by any maner offendeth disobeyeth or rebelleth against the same Bp. or See or that killeth a Priest or offendeth personally against a Bp. or other Prelate or invadeth spoileth withholdeth or wasteth Lands belonging to the Church of Rome or to any other Church immediately subject unto Rome or whosoever invadeth any Pilgrims that go to Rome or any Suitors to the Court of Rome or that let the devolution of causes unto that Court or that put any new charges or impositions real or personal upon a Church or ecclesiastical person and generally All others that offend in the cases contained in the Bul which is usually published by the Bps. of Rome upon Maunday thursday Al these can be assoiled by no Priest Bp Archbp nor by none other but only by the Bp. of Rome or by his express Licence These with an infinite number of like sort be the godly and holy Decrees which you long so sore for and so much desire Now would I know whether you think that these decrees were made for the common wealth of al realmes or only for the private weal of the Bp. of Rome and of his Bps. and Clergy And whether you like and long for these laws or now at the hearing of them your longing is done If you like them Wel for my part I would you had them practised among you for a while so that the rest of the Realm were not troubled neither with you nor with your Decrees unles you repented your selves of your foolish demands I think within a year you would kneel on your knees to the Kings Majestie desiring him to take from your necks the yokes and halters which you had made for your selves But to conclude the sum of the first Article in few words It is nothing else but a clear subversion of the whole State and Lawes of this realm and to make this Realm to be whole governed by Romish Lawes and to crown the Idol and Antichrist of Rome king of this realm and to make our most undoubted and natural King his vile Subject and slave Oh! what was in your minds to ask such a thing and so presumptuously to say that you wil have it I trust there be not in you so much malice and devilishness as the Article containeth but that you were craftily subornate by subtil Papists to ask and demand you wist not what If you had asked that the Word of God might be duly observed and kept every where within this Realm And whosoever would gainsay Gods word to be holden as a Heretic If you had declared your selves to be godly men al that be godly would have commended and furthered your requests But forasmuch as you ask Romish Canons and Decrees to be observed and kept here in England and whosoever shal againsay them to be holdon as hereticks there is neither godly nor truly English man that will allow you or consent to your Articles But clean contrary to your Articles a great number of godly persons within this realm for the very love that they have to God that his Name may be glorified above al things be daily humble Suitors to the Kings Majesty that he following the steps of his Father wil study and travail to weed out of this his Realm al Popish Decrees Lawes and Canons and whatsoever else is contrary to Gods word and that the speakers against Gods word may be taken as they be indeed for Heretics And is any of you so far from reason that he thinketh the Kings Majesty ought to hearken to you that by force and stubbornness say you wil have Romish Laws and Decrees kept in this realm and to turn his ears from them that with al humility be suitors for Gods Word But now wil I come to your other Articles wherein I wil be brief forasmuch as in the first I have been long and tedious II. Your second Article is this WEE wil have the Law of our Soveraign Lord K. Henry VIII concerning the six Articles to be used again as in his time they were Letting pas your rude stile nothing becoming Subjects to say You wil have First I examine you of the cause of your wilful wil wherefore you wil have these six Articles which never were laws in no region but this nor in this realm also until the 31 st year of King Henry VIII And in some things so enforced by the evil Counsil of certain Papists against the truth and common judgment both of Divines and Lawyers that if the Kings Majesty himself
can no proper names by geven but suche translation of worâ—les as the Holy Ghost doth use and ther cannot be devysed more proper more mete for the purpose nor more famouse wordes then they are 13. It is not mete therfore that we should attempt to expound these Metaphors with our own proper wordes wherof we be all together destytute in matters of regeneration neyther is it convenyent that we should deface theyr perfection wyth more slender Metaphors and wyth such geare as be of kinred to our natural reason 14. We must beware that with no superstitious stately eloquence we do make darke the brightnes of the Lordes commandement unto such as have their eyes lightened on every syde by fayth We must in lyke maner take heede we demynysh not the force and majesty of Christes sacraments set furth by the Holy Ghost rather of us to be beleved then by our naturall reason to be out-searched as by the exposition rather proceding of our owne imagynations then of the very word of God and of the nature of his sacraments 15. The Word is made flesh that their myght be both God and man in one substaunce and such as was a very earthely man which dyed rose againe from the dead ascended into heaven remayneth in the heavens and sytteth on the right hand of the father which governeth and fulfylleth all things and in the syght of all the world he shall come agayne in the clowdes to judge the quycke and the dead And they all must nedes receyve their owne bodies againe All these things truly do so farre passe the reache of mans wyt that of necessitye we must lay hold of them by fayth 16. Fayth bycause she is practysed and fortyfyed in the dayly use of these things causeth them clearely and manyfestly to appeare even as she doth make all the other misteries of Chryst to such as doth perfectly beleve Which thinges should be made darke unto us if we would suffer our selves to make inquirye of them according to the trade of our own reason following her natural princyples 17. Christ our Lord is for ever both God and man he is the head of all the sayntes and the first begotten among the children of God Wherfore we must so marke with our myndes and expres in wordes the propertyes of the natures that by no maner of imagynations we separate the unity of substaunce 18. There is nothing better agreeth with it selfe then doth the word of God so that what so ever the scripture speaketh of Christes beyng among us of the receyvyng of him of his aby ding and dwelling in us and eatyng of him agreeth all together and is consonant with these evydent scriptures openly declaring that he hath forsaken the world that he is in heaven yea and that he hath a very body and therfore lymited and bounden in one place 19. When we therfore entreate of the mistery eyther of the supper of the Lord or of Christes plaine presence with us for why should we not say that he is present which dwelleth in us and is in the mydst of us it is to no purpose to lay agaynst the presence of him such places of scripture as declare Christ to have departed from this world to be in heaven and to be very man havyng a very body and therfore such a body as is bounded in a place which may not be placed in all or many places at one tyme. 20. For Christes presence whether it be offered or declared eyther in the word onely or els in the sacramentes is no presence of place neyther of sensies nor of reason nor yet no yearthly presence but it is a spiritual presence a presence of faith and an heavenly presence For as much as we are conveyde into heaven by faith beyng placed in Christ. So that we lay hold upon him and embrace him in his heavenly majestye all be it he be here offered and declared after a sorte unto us in the glasse and darke speaking of sensyble wordes and sacramentes 21. The Antichristes make the simple people to beleve by these wordes that we receyve and have Christ here present after some worldly fashion that is to say eyther inclosed with the bread and wine or els that he is present under their accydences so that ther he ought to be honoured and worshipped 22. Let them therfore that be apt to learne be taught that ther is no presence of Christ in the supper but onely in the lawful use therof and such as is obtayned and gotten by fayth onely As for the other sort byd them adew as the blynde guydes of the blynde and that plantyng which our heavenly Father hath not planted For such as heare not Gods word are not borne of God 23. We must tourne away from their disceytes and craftes from which we ought verely to withdraw our selves howbeit they cannot be avoyded other wayes then by the true expounding of Gods word yea and that but only of them whom the Lord himself hath taught by the ministration he hath committed to us 24. The good men moreover hearing that Christ in the sacramente is presently geven receyved and had do imagyne a certaine presence of place and many tymes they fantsye also that God himself is bounded in a place havyng a body even as he were a man 25. They must therfore be contynually taught that these heavenly misteries do passe all mens capasityes and that they must be perceyved and knowen in the only word of God so that all worldly fasions must be far from our mindes because the word of God declareth Christ to be a very man havyng the bodye of a man in the which body he departed this world and was caried into heaven he may not therfore by no worldly maner be sought for in this world but after such sort as he offereth himselfe beyng in heaven to be received of us Which things are not knowen by sense and reason but by faith 26. As for these heavens because they be above all the heavens I dare not by the predicamente of our reason discusse what they be but by the wordes of the scripture But thâ— scripture discribeth them not by the distaunce of places but by the majestye of God and his blessednes openly declaring that such heavenly blys hath not come into the hart of man 27. I do not perceyve what further knowledge the holy fathers would geve writing of the proper place of Christes body in heaven but that we should observe the propertye of both the natures in Christ. So that as it is the propertye of the godly nature to be in every place and to fulfyll all things even by his substance so it is the propertye of the nature of man to be lymited in place and state not to be spread abroade in many or in all places at once These things agree with the scripture albeit we place not Christes body in heaven after the maner of the fourth booke of Aristotle's Naturalls Yea let us
there but he receiveth death Truly Christ must be geven and received of us tyll nothing of ours be left in us but he all thing in us and we wholly in him and no part in our selfe And we say that the partaking of Christ which we have in baptisme is strengthened and augmented in the Lordes supper But ye will say the same is done what time the gospell being read or heard is received by faith So it is indede neither hath the Lords supper or geveth any other thing els but that he hath left therin things visible for the visible words of Christ be applied therin And they are not without force and effect to the saintes because they be applied by the Lords ordinaunce all whose words and ordinaunce have lyâ—e and spirite 43. Wherfore I trust that hereby men may perceive what I beleve as conserning the gevyng ministring receyving and partaking of the Lords body and bloud in the supper which doth agree right well with the scripture and with the doctrine of the auncient church So that after this manner I acknowledge Christ that is to say the partaking of his salvation to be geven and taken in the hoâ—y supper 44. If I be enquired who geveth and ministreth the Lords body I mean the lyvely participation of these things and of Christ wholly I say that Christ which is in the midst of his whose words these be Take and Eate is the chiefe and principal gever of his own selfe and the minister doth lyke service to him herein when he geveth himselfe even as he doth when he geveth himselfe in the preaching of the gospell and in Baptisme And for this ministration sake Paule justly doth write how he by the gospell had begotten the Corinthes unto the Lord and had written Christ in their harts and that he had traveled in birth of the Galathians 45. As touching the use of bread and wyne herein If I be demaunded I will answer that they be signes exhibityve that is to say such signes as do geve the things signifyed by the which sygnes the Lord doth geve himselfe being the celestial bread of everlasting life after the same maner as he gave his disciples the Holy Ghost by the signe of breathing of his mouthe and likewise as by the laying on of his hands he gave both bodelye health and ghostly health Lyke as he gave syght by the clay made of his spittle and as he did give circumcicion of the flesh and in such sort as he geveth regeneration by baptisme 46. We have an everlasting lyfe through the faith we have in the love that God the father hath toward us This faith hereunto leaneth is preserved and encreased For as much as Christ Gods sonne giveth himselfe with all his merites unto us lyveth in us delyvering us from our synnes shall raise us from the dead and bring us to a parfyt heavenly and blessed lyfe For this cause that is to say for the nourishment of thys faith it was the Lords pleasure to use herein the signes of mâ—ate and drincke and geve his fleshe spiritually to be eaten by the signe of bread to be eaten bodely and his bloud spiritually to be dronke by the signe of wine to be dronken bodely and so as it is before said he geveth in the supper the same partaking of himselfe by the signes and by his words which in the sixt of Iohn by words onley he hath set out 47. If I be demaunded what maner of joynyng may be betwyxt the glorified body of Christ and ther determinately placed and the corruptible bread here in earth conteined in a sensyble place I answer even such as is betwyxt the regeneration and the dipping in the water and as is betwyxt the Holy Ghost and the breath of Christes mouth which I do call the joyning in the covenant For so mutch as they that with a true and lyvely faith be partakers of these signes bodely spiritually receive in dede an assuraunce with an encrease of the partaking of the Lords body and bloud So they be members of Christ flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones and therby they grow more and more into the perfection of the same 48. Whosoever therfore maketh these signes of Christes presence beside the use that the Lord hath appointed them unto which is to be eaten and dronken in this sacrament bringeth men into abhominable rage and madnes to set up idolatry Neither receiveth he any thing at all of that food which the Lord geveth to his that taketh in hand to eate and drincke these sacraments without a lyvely fayth in Christ but receyveth death and dampnation to himselfe 49. Such as be altogether ungodly say I that in the holy supper they receive nothing of Christ such as have faith and yet make no difference of this meate as certain of the Corinthes which were blamed of the Apostle dyd as I cannot deny them to receive Christ in the supper through the faith which they have even so I will not say that they have eaten Christ. If so be that they do not rightly practyse their faith by the religious dyfference-making of so high misteries which is the special eatyng of this meate For such are lyke unto them which taking meate in their mouthes eyther chew it not or els let it not downe or when it is letten down digest it not so that in a little while or soone after they vomit it up againe 50. If I be enquired as concerning the Lords words This is my body what thing is demonstrate or shewed here I say that to the sences it is bread but to the mynde or understanding it is the Lords body even as in all speeches wherin insensible things are exhibited or geven by sensible signes So that the meanyng is the thing which by this signe I geve unto you is my body which is delyvered for you As the Holy Ghost speaketh of the circumcicion saying This is my Covenaunt that is to say the thing that by this signe I ordeine unto you is my covenaunt to be observed betwixt me and you c. After such sort are we wont to speake of the signes which do signifye or betoken a thing albeit they do not exhibit the thing they betoken as when we do say of the Emperours image This is themperour that subdued Fraunce that is to say he is represented by this image 51. I object or say against transubstantiation This cup is the new testament This that is to say Circumcicion is my covenaunt and the word is made flesh we may not conclude and determyne either the Cup or the circumcicion to be chaunged into a covenaunt and the Word to be chaunged into flesh We may not therfore determyne and conclude by these wordes of the Lord which in gevying of bread did say Take this is my body that there is a chaunge of the bread into the Lords body For there is no maner of such speaking no not in all the scripture that do
Majesty It may like the same to understand that We your most humble faythful and obedient Subjects having alwayes God we take to witnes remayned your Highnes true and humble Subjects in our harts ever sythens the death of our late Soveraign Lord and Master your Highnes brother whom God pardon And seeing hitherto no possibilite to utter our determination herein without great destruction and bludshed both of our selves and others tâ—l this time Have this day proclaimed in your city of London your Majesty to be our true natural Soveraign Liege Lady and Queen Most humbly beseeching your Majesty to pardon and remit our former infirmities and most graciously taccept our meanings which have byn ever to serve your Highnes truly And so shal remain in al our powers and forces to theffusion of our bludds as thies bearers our very good Lords therle of Arundel and L. Paget can and be redy more particularly to declare To whom it may please your Excellent Majesty to give firme credence And thus we do and shal daily pray to Almighty God for the preservation of your most royal person long to reign over us From your Majesties city of London this day of Iuly the first year of your most prosperous Reygne Thus endorsed by the hand of Sir Will. Cecyl Copy of the letter to the Quene from Baynards Castle 20 July 1553. NUM LXXII The Archbishop to Mrs. Wilkinson persuading her to fly THE true Comforter in all distress is only God through his son Iesus Christ. And whosoever hath him hath compaâ—y enough although he were in a wildernes al alone And he that hath twenty thousand in his company if God be absent is in a miserable wilderness and desolation In him is al comfort and without him is none Wherefore I beseech you seek your dwelling there whereas you may truly and rightly serve God and dwel in him and have him ever dwelling in you What can be so heavy a burden as an unquiet conscience to be in such a place as a man cannot be suffered to serve God in Christs religion If you be loth to depart from your kin and friends remember that Christ calleth them his mother sisters and brothers that do his fathers wil. Where we find therfore God truly honored according to his wil there we can lack neither friend nor kin If you be loth to depart for slandering Gods word remember that Christ when his houre was not yet come departed out of his countrey into Samaria to avoyd the malice of the Scribes and Pharisees and commanded his Apostles that if they were pursued in one place they should fly to another And was not Paul let down by a basket out at a window to avoid the persecution of Aretas And what wisdome and policy he used from time to time to escape the malice of his enemies the Acts of the Apostles do declare And after the same sort did the other Apostles Albeit when it came to such a point that they could no longer escape danger of the persecutors of Gods true religion then they shewed themselves that their flying before came not of fear but of godly wisdome to do more good and that they would not rashly without urgent necessity offer themselves to death Which had been but a temptation of God Yea when they were apprehended and could no longer avoid then they stood boldly to the profession of Christ Then they shewed how little they passed of death How much they feared God more then men How much they loved and preferred the eternal life to come above this short and miserable life Wherefore I exhort you as wel by Christs commandment as by the example of him and his Apostles to withdraw your self from the malice of yours and Gods enemies into some place where God is most purely served Which is no slandering of the truth but a preserving of your self to God and the truth and to the society and comfort of Christs little flock And that you wil do do it with speed lest by your own folly you fal into the persecutors hands And the Lord send his holy spirit to lead and guide you whersoever you go And al that be godly wil say Amen NUM LXXIII The words and sayings of John Duke of Northumberland spoken by him unto the people at the Towerhill of London on Tuesday in the forenoon being the 22d day of August immediatly before his death as hereafter followeth GOod people I am come hither for to dy this day for the which al you are come hither to see And that although this is most horrible and detestable yet justly have I deserved the same for that I have been most grievous sinner unto Almighty God and to al the whole world and to the Queens grace In as much as I did presume of my self in the plain field to bear armor against her Grace Wherfore I do acknowledg that I have offended her lawes and that justly she might have put me to death without any Law had she so pleased But of her most clemency hath weighed my death by a law which justly hath condemned me But the more I trust for my Salvation and the more better for me to consider the greatnes of my sins And therfore the better for my Salvation And forasmuch as I am permitted to speak my conscience this I do protest before God the World and al you that this my death hath not been altogether of mine own procuring but hath been incensed by others Whom I pray God to pardon For I wil not name nor accuse any man here And now I shal shew how I have been of a long time led by false Teachers somewhat before the death of K. Henry VIII and ever since Which is a great part of this my death Wherfore good people beware and take heed that you be not led and deceived by these seditious and leud Preachers that have opened the Book and know not how to shut it But return home again to your true religion and Catholick faith which hath been taught you of old For since the time that this new teaching hath come among us God hath given us over unto our selves and hath plagued us sundry and many wayes with wars commotions tumults rebellions pestilence and famine besides many more great and grievous pâ—agues to the great decay of our common wealth Wherfore Good people be obedient unto the Queen her lawes and be content to receive again the true Catholic faith from which of long time you have been led Examples we have of Germany Which in like manner being led and seduced how are they now brought to ruine as wel it is known to the world And also we are taught by our Creed in the latter part of the same Where it is said We believe in the holy Ghost the holy Catholick faith the Communion of Saints Thus you may see the Articles of our belief do teach us the true faith Catholic This is my very faith and
grant unto you al the continual assistance of his good and holy Spirit Amen NUM LXXXV John Fox to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Queen Maries time relating to the persecution UT singularis vigilantia vestra cum pari conjuncta prudentia neutiquam eget consilijs aut documentis meis Proceres Patres inspiciendi ita nihil vicissim a pudore ac verecundia mea alienius esse possit quà m summates viros ulla in re interpellare literis Atutinam hunc naturae affectum ut hactenus perpetuò tueri liceret Nunc vero ubi in eas difficultates ceu inter Symplegadas incidimus ut neque obticescere sine impietate nec loqui sine periculo liceat considerabit opinor prudentia vestra non tam quid me deceat quam quid officij exigat ratio Quóque gravior sit ad scribendum causa hoc faciliorem spero impetrabit veniam audacia Equidem nihil addubito quin eximia authoritas vestra divinae cujusdam potentiae vicariam nobis imaginem representat in terris semper egit sedulo actura est ut cum dignitate vestra simul publica totius ditionis vestrae tranquillitas salúsque contineatur Quid enim aliud vel ab amplissimo hoc loco expectare vel de singulari vigilantia vestra suspicari convenit quam a vobis qui Patres sitis Reâ—p paratissimâ— fore omnia sicubi vel auxilij fidem vel juvandi voluntatem res communis desiderabit ut neque facultati vestrae quicquam adjici nec in voluntate quicquam desiderari poterit Atque enimvero si in ijs duntaxat sita esset Reip. administratio quae per se satis possent humanae prudentiae praesidia moderari niâ—is insanire videretur qui vos monendo instituere hoc est Solem meridianum luce ascititia illustrare speraret Quanquam nâ— id quidem sapientia opinor vestra postulabit sibi hujusmodi censeri vos qui non communi conditione nati cum caeteris pariter cum reliquis mortalibus etsi minus fortasse at nonnunquam tamen labi atque exorbitare possitis Etiamsi humana forent maxime atque intra proprij ingenij vires clausa quae ageretis Nunc vero cum omnis Reip. gubernatio divinâ— sit magnaque ejus pars in religionis versetur tractatione longe supra humanum captum ardua ut alteram partem vobis lubenter tribuimus ita in altera societatem aliquam consilij haud omnino estis opinor aspernaturi praesertim cum id non tam siducia arrogantiae aliqua sacimus quam temporis atque officij necessitate impulsi Quis enim vos obtestor Gravissimi Patres ferat quis non deploret Quem non ad gemitus ad lacrymas pertrahat tametsi Angliam nunquam viderit tantum in Anglia fundi Christiani Sanguinis tot cives ingenuos tot liberales innocentes promiscuè cum soeminis viros capite ac fortunis quotidie periclitari caedi exuâ—i laniari prope sine modo numero Quod si Barbari ex ultima Turcia barbarosa aut exterae nationis ferus hostis aliunde irrumpens in Angliam tantam hanc gentis nostrae stragem designasset haud minor fortasse calamitas aut minor prosectó esset queremonia Saevitiam etsi omnino per se graveâ—n nationis tamen minueret distinctio Nunc quorum saluti apud vos potissimum esse perfugium conveniebat â—osdem vos ipsi capi exagitari discerpi dilacerari Angli Anglos Magistratus subditos Christiani Christianos cernitis toleratis Quique nuper sub Edwardi auspicatissimi Principis divino imperio florentissima tranquillitate cum domum vitae non securitate modo sed voluptate etiam utebantur nunc ijdem invertente se rerum humanarum scena miseris cruciatibus vitam quam tueri nequeunt deserere coguntur non quia vita aut mores mutati ipsorum sed quia duntaxat tempora mutata sunt Et ubi interim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illa Paulina ubi Clementia vestra Mitissimi proceres ubi inveterata illa semperque laudata etiam erga hostes Anglorum pietas si in vestros tam esseri tamque exitiales esse velitis Scio ingeniorum immensam ac infinitam prope varietatem esse in mundo apud homines haud secus quam apud belluas Quidam natura mitiores Contra sunt quos natos saevitiae dixeris ac truculentiae Alij consuetudine prava hoc vitio delectantur Nonnulli rursus ab alijs ceu contagium accipiunt Verum utcunqâ—e alijs aliud natura insevit certe nihil viris generosis tam proprium ac genuinum nihil naturae ipsorum si naturae tueri velint quadrans magis quam generosa quaedam indoles ac morum ingenuitas Quae prosit omnibus officiat nemini nisi lacessita forte Ac ne tum quidem nisi coacta magis quà m sua sponte idque magis Reip. ratione quà m sua saevitia ac ne tum quidem sui oblivisci potest generosa pietas semper ad salutem miserorum quà m perniciem intentior excusans patrocinans sublevans relinquens quo misericordiae cognoscentiae esse locus possit Ecquae haec nunc tanta hominum ne dicam an temporum degeneratio in viros non improbos modo sed innocenti ac inculpata vita a quibus nemo unquam laesus vestrum aut lacessitus sit publice simul ac privatim bonos sic inardescere saevitiam quorundam ut nulla sit hostium natio tam barbara ubi non tutius conquiescant quà m apud suos Quondam apud priscos Romanos plusquam sontium censebatur quod civem in discrimen adduceret capitis ubi octo erant suppliciarum genera quorum mors ut ultima ita nisi clarissima non indicebatur Qâ—id quod ne tum quidem deerant etiam vitae defensores ac libera apud populum actio Ex quo effectum est ut eloquentiae studium tanto in honore ac usu apud omnes esse ut urbem prope universam ad sui contenâ—ionem excitaret Tantus in gentilitio populo patriae amor ac salutis cura apud patricios vigebat viros quorum omnis fere laus in conservandis quamplurimis cerneretur Atque istos nondum ulla religionis inbuerat gratia tantum natura ipsa ac literarum humaniâ—as ad tantam excolere potuit civilitatem Et ô brutorum jamdudum in Anglia extinctum genus quod apud Ethnicos natura quod literae valuerunt civiles non idem valebit pietas non Evangelij vig r non a Christo inculcata toties impetrabit charitas quin ob quamlibet levem causam aut nullam potius ad paenas rapiuntur adeo frigescente ubique charitate ut haud sciam an hoc ipsum capitale futurum sit quod pro afflictis fratribus mutire audeam iâ—â—mque in hac re eveniat mihi quod Iustino olim pro Christianis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui dum
seen so manifestly of so many in these dayes But here peradventure ye wold know of me what is the truth Sir Gods word is the truth as S. Iohn saith and it is even the same that was heretofore For albeit man doth vary and chaunge as the Moon yet Gods word is stable and abydeth for evermore And of Christ it is truly said Christus heri hodie idem etiam in secula When I was in office al that were esteemed for learned men in Gods word aggreed this to be a truth in Gods word written that the Common prayers of the Church shuld be had in the common tongue You know I have conferred with many and I ensure you I never found man so far as I do remembre neyther old nor new Gospeller or Papist of what judgmâ—nt soever he was in this thing to be of a contrary opinion If then it were a truth of Gods word think you that the Alteration of the world can make it now an untruth If it cannot why do men so many shrink from the confession and maintenance of this truth once received of us al For what is it I pray you else to confes or deny Christ in this world but to confes and maintain the truth taught in Gods word nor for any worldly respect to shrynke from the same This one have I brought but for an example Other things be in like case which now particularly I nede not to rehearse For he that wil forsake wittingly eyther for fear or gain of the world any one open truth of Gods word if he be strayned he wil assuredly forsake God and al his truth rather then he wil endaunger hymself eyther to loose or to leave that he loveth indede better then he doth God and the truth of his word I lyke therin very wel your plain speaking wherin you say I must eyther aggree or dy and I thynk you mean of the bodily death which is common both to good and bad Sir I know I must dy whether I aggree or no. But what folly were it then to make such an aggreement by the which I could never escape this death which is so common to al and also I might incur the guilt of eternal death and damnation Lord graunt that I may utterly abhor and detest this damnable aggreement so long as I lyve And because I dare say you wrot of frendship to me this short ernest advertisement and I think verily wyshing me to lyve and not to dy Therfore bearing you in my hear no less love in God then you do me in the world I say to you In verbo Domini that except you and this I say to you I say to al my frends and lovers in God except ye confes and mainteyn to your power and knowledg thyngs which be grounded upon Gods word but wil eyther for fear or gayn of the world shrynke and play the Apostata indede you shal dy the death You understand what I mean And I beseech you and al my true freynds and lovers in God remembre what I say For this peradventure may be the last time that ever I shal write to you From Bocardo in Oxenford theighth day of April Anno 1554. Yours in Christ Nicolas Rydley NUM LXXXVII John Hopton Bishop of Norwich to the Earl of Sussex giving account of the joy conceived and Te Deum sung for the newes of the Queens being brought to bed of a Noble Prince RIght honorable and my singular good Lord. After mine humble commendations with like thanks for your honorable and gentle letters sent to me touching the behaviour of the Curate of Bokenham and the reformation of other enormities there It may please you to understand that I did send immediatly for the said Curate and the Church-wardens and the Quest-men there And upon their appearance with twelve or fourteen of the most substantial men of the parish and upon due examination I could perceive none other thing but al things to be wel and decently ordered and provided for at this holy time of Easter contrary to the information given to your good Lordship And if there had been any thing amiss they should have been punished according to their demerits Beseeching your good Lordship if any further knowledg come to you either for that Town or any other concerning the Reformation of my jurisdiction or the negligence of mine Officers that I may be advertised therof and have your favorable ayd and assistance And I shal do the best I can for my discharge And wher it pleased your honorable Lordship to wil me to take a dinner or a supper with you in the time of my Visitation I humbly thank you therfore most heartily Beseeching your Lordship when occasion shal serve you to visit this city that ye wil vouchsafe to take this my poor house at your commandment wherunto your Lordship shal be as welcome as unto your own Further I understand that Mr. Mayor here hath certified your Lordship of the sudden good news brought to us by one of the city of the Queens highnes most joyful deliverance of a Noble Prince Wherupon to laud God Te Deum was solemnly songen in the Cathedral church and other places of the city with wonderful joy and much gladnes of al people throughout the whole city and the country therabouts And if ye have any further knowledg therof I beseech your honorable Lordship that I may be partaker of the same by this bringer my servant whom I send purposely therfore as knoweth the Holy Ghost who preserve your Lordship in continual health and honor At Norwich the thred of May 1555. Your Lordships assuredly Iohn Norwich Postscripta I received even now knowledg from a friend of mine of two witnesses more of the good and joyful newes above written as this said bringer can declare to your good Lordship Iohn Norwich NUM LXXXVIII A Proposition in the Convocation against Residence With Reasons for the said Proposition and Remedies against Non-residence Decretum perpetuae Residentiae juxta Canonum Sanctiones optant pij sed multa sunt quae hodie impediunt quo minus suum effectum juxta bonorum virorum vota consequatur The Reasons I. THE Statutes of the Kingdome not disallowed as we hear by the Pope do permit to the Barons and other great men of the kingdome a certain number of Priests having cure of souls II. Not only the Statutes of the kingdom but the Canons do permit Bishops a certain number of fellow workers to assist them III. Bishops and Prelates who by reason of their great learning prudence integrity of life and high faith are chosen to be the Kings Counsillors and whose counsils are very necessary for the restoring of religion ought not as it seems to be compelled to perpetual Residence IV. When the Barons and other great men may be retained in the orthodox faith by the doctrin honesty age and frequent exhortations of Reverend men it seems not convenient that
Act Anno 1550. LX. 152 Ibid. Peter Martyr to Bucer Concerning their Review of the Book of Common Prayâ—r LXI 154 MSS. SirW H The Archbishops Letter to procure Wolf the Printer a licence to publish his â—ook LXII 156 Foxij MSS. Articles whereunto William Phelps Pastor and Curate of Ciciter upon good advisement and deliberation after better knowledg given by Gods grace hath subscribed LXIII Ibid. MSS. SirW H The Archbishop to the Lords of the Councel concerning the Book of Articles of Religion LXIV 158 Ibid. The Archbishop nominates certain Persons for an Irish Archbishoprick LXV 159 Ibid. The Archbishop to Sir Will. Cecyl that Mr. Turner intended for the Archbishopric of Armagh was come up to Court LXVI 160 Ibid. The Archbishop to the same Wherin he justifies himself and the rest of the Bishops aâ—ainst the charge of Covetousness LXVII 161 Ibid. Purchases made by the Archbishop Extracted out of K. Edwards Book of Sales LXVIII 162 MSS. D. Wil. Petyt An Instrument of the Council Swearing and subscribing to the Succession as limited by the King LXVIII 163 Ibid. The Kings own Writing directing the Succession  164 MSS. SirW H A Letter of Q. Janes Council to the L. Rich L. Lieutenant of the County of Essex LXIX 164 Foxij MSS. Q. Jane to Sir John Bridges and Sir Nicolas Poyntz to raise forces against a Rising in Bucks LXX 165 Number Page Place The Counsillors of Q. Jane their Letter to the Lady Mary acknowledging her Queen LXXI 166 MSS. Sir W.H. The Archbishop to Mrs. Wilkinson persuading her to flee LXXII Ibid. Foxes Acts. The Words and Sayings of John Duke of Northumberland spoken by him unto the people at the Tower Hil of London on Tuesday in the forenoon being 22th of August immediately before his Death LXXIII 167 Titus B. 2. Archbishop Cranmers Letter to the Queen suing for his Pardon in the Lady Janes business LXXIV 169 Letters of the Mâ—rt Cardinal Poles Instructions for his Messenger to Queen Mary LXXV 170 Titus B. 2. The Form of the Restitution of a married Priest LXXV †179 Regist. Eccl. Christ. Cant. John Foxes Letter to the Parlament against reviving the Act of the Six Articles LXXVI 181 Foxij MSS. An Instrument of the Vniversity of Cambridg appointing certain of their Members to repair to Oxford to dispute with Cranmer Ridley and Latimer there LXXVII 182 Ibid. The Vniversity of Cambridge to that of Oxford relating to the former matter LXXVIII 184 Ibid. Cranmers Letter to the Queens Council after his Disputation at Oxon. LXXIX 186 Foxes Acts. The Lord Legates Commission to the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury Deputing them to Absolve and Dispense with the Clergy in his stead and Absolve the Laity LXXX 187 Registr Eccl. Cant. The Lord Legates Instructions to the Bishops in the performing of his Orders about Absolving their Clergy and Laity LXXXI 190 Ibid. An Italian to his Friend concerning Cardinal Pole LXXXII 192 Balci Cent. Bradford to Cranmer Ridley and Latimer concerning the Freewillers about 1554. LXXXIII 195 Martyrs Letters The Prisoners for the Gospel their Declaration concerning K Edward his Reformation LXXXIV 196 Foxij MSS. John Fox to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Q. Maries time relating to the Persecution LXXXV 197 Ibid. Dr. Ridley late Biâ—hop of London to West formerly his Steward who had complied with the Romish Religion LXXXVI 200 Ibid. John Hopton Bishop of Norwich to the Earl of Sussex giving account of the joy conceived and Te Deum sung for the News of the Queens being brought to bed of a Noble Prince LXXXVII 203 Tit. B. 2. A Proposition in the Convocation against Residence With reasons for the said Propositions and Remedies against Non-Residence LXXXVIII 204 C. C. C. C. MSS. Pole Cardinal Legate to Archbishop Cranmer in answer to the Letter he had sent to the Queen LXXXIX 206 Foxij MSS. Place  Number Page MSS Sir W H Archbishop Parker to the Secretary desiring the Councels Letters in order to his discovering certain Writings of Archbishop Cranmer XC 217 Ibid. Dr. William Mouse Master of Trinity Hal in Cambridg his Letter of Thanks to Secretary Cecyl XCI 218 Ibid. Justus Jonas to Secretary Cecyl Concerning the Miseries of Germany occasioned by the Interim and that he might receive the Kings intended Muniâ—icence XCII 2â—9 Ibid. Miles Wilson to Secretary Cecyl lamenting the Spoiles of Schools Benefices and Hospitals To which are added his Arguments against this Sacrilege XCIII 220 Ibid. Peter Martyr to James Haddon To procure a Licence from the Court for one of his Auditâ—rs named Hugh Kirk of Magdalen College Oxon to preach XCIV 227 Ibid. Peter Martyr to Secretary Cecyl That one who officiated in Dr. Westons place might receive the Stipend detained from him XCV 228 Ibid. John Sleidan to Secretary Cecyl Advices of the State of Affairs in Germany XCVI 229 Ibid. Sleidan to the same More Advices from Germany Desires a Patent for his Stipend granted him by K. Edward VI. XCVII 230 Ibid. Sleidan to the same Intelligences concerning the Motions of the Emperor and the State of the Protestant Princes XCVIII 231 Ibid. Sleidan to the same Advices of the State of the Empire XCIX 232 Ibid. Sleidan to Sir John Cheke and Sir William Cecyl Concerning his Commentaries which he had sent to K. Edward Desires them to send him an exact Information of the Business between K. Henry and Pope Clement His resolution of continuing his Commentaries and of Writing the History of the Council of Trent C. 234 Ibid. Sleidan to Sir William Cecyl Concerning the Affairs of Germany and particularly of the Council of Trent CI. 236 Ibid. â—artin Bucer to the Secretary for the speeding of Sleidans business CII 238 Ibid. Ralph Morice the Archbishops Secretary his supplication to Q. Elizabeth for Prior Wilbore's Pension lately deceased CIII 239  A Prologue or Preface made by Thomas Cranmer late Archbishop of Canterbury to the Holy Bible CIV 241 Number Page Place Bucer and other Learned Strangers from Lambeth to Cecyl To prefer the Petition of some poor French Protestants to the Protector CV 250 MSS. Sir W.H. The Archbishop to the Secretary Concerning a French man that desired a Patent to translate the Common prayer into French and print it CVI. Ibid. Ibid. The Archbishop to the same Mention of Letters sent by the Archbishop to the Duke of Northumberland Excusing his not proceding in a Commission His Reflexion upon the News CVII 251 Ibid. The Archbishop to the same Signifying his Desire to have the good Wil of the Lord Warden his Neighbour CVIII 252 Ibid. The Archbishop to the same Desiring Cecyl to enform him of the Cause of Chekes Indictment CIX Ibid. Ibid. The End of the Table of Letters c. BOOKS Printed for RICHARD CHISWELL CEnsura Celebriorum Authorum sive Tractatus in quo Varia Virorum Doctorum de Claris. Cujusque Seculi Scriptoribus Iudicia Traduntur Unde Facilimo Negotio Lector Dignoscere qucat quid in singulis quibusque
Irenicum published by him from a Manuscript Volume once belonging to Arch-bishop Cranmer In this Convocation the Arch-bishop bore the great Sway and what things were agitated herein were chiefly by his Motion and Direction Some whereof were turned into Laws by the Parliament that was now sitting through his Activeness and Influence As particularly that Repeal of the Statute of the Six Articles and of some other severe Laws decreeing divers things Treason and Felony made in the former King's Reign For when the Arch-bishop in the Convocation had made a Speech to the Clergy exhorting them to give themselves to the study of the Scriptures and to consider what Things in the Church needed Reformation that so the Church might be discharged of all Popish Trash not yet thrown out Some told him that as long as the Six Articles remained it was not safe for them to deliver their Opinions This he reported to the Council Upon which they ordered this Act of Repeal By his means also another great thing moved in the Convocation was now ratified and made a Law by this Parliament which was for the Administration of the Communion under both Kinds throughout the Kingdom of England and Ireland And upon this the King appointed certain Grave and Learned Bishops and others to assemble at Windsor-Castle there to treat and confer together and to conclude upon and set forth one perfect and uniform Order of Communion according to the Rules of Scripture and the Use of the Primitive Church And this being framed it was enjoined to be used throughout the Realm by a Proclamation and all required to receive it with due Reverence I meet with a Writing of the Arch-bishop without Date consisting of Queries concerning the Mass in order to the abolishing it and changing it into a Communion Which I know not where so well to place as here now the Convocation was employed upon this Matter For it seems to have been drawn up by the Arch-bishop on purpose to be laid before the Consideration of this House The Queries were these What or wherein Iohn Fasting giving Alms being Baptized or receiving the Sacrament of the Altar in England doth profit and avail Thomas dwelling in Italy and not knowing what Iohn in England doth Whether it profit them that be in Heaven and wherein Whether it lieth in the Faster Giver of Alms Receiver of the Sacrament him that is Baptized to defraud any Member of Christ's Body of the Benefit of Fasting Alms-Deeds Baptism or Receiving of the Sacrament and to apply the same Benefit to one Person more than to another What thing is the Presentation of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Mass which you call the Oblation and Sacrifice of Christ And wherein standeth it in Act Gesture or Word and in what Act Gesture or Word Is there any Rite or Prayer and expressed in the Scripture which Christ used or commanded at the first Institution of the Mass which we be now bound to use and what the same be Whether in the Primitive Church there were any Priests that lived by saying of Mass Mattens and Even-song and praying for Souls only And where any such State of Priesthood be allowed in the Scriptures or be meet to be allowed now For what Cause were it not expedient nor convenient to have the whole Mass in the English Tongue Wherein consisteth the Mass by Christ's Institution What Time the accustomed Order began first in the Church that the Priests alone should receive the Sacrament Whether it be convenient that the same Custom continue still within this Realm Whether it be convenient that Masses Satisfactory should continue that is to say Priests hired to sing for Souls departed Whether the Gospel ought to be taught at the Time of the Mass to the understanding of the People being present Whether in the Mass it were convenient to use such Speech as the People may understand To proceed to some other Things wherein our Arch-bishop was this Year concerned In Iune the Church of S. Pauls was hanged with Black and a sumptuous Hearse set up in the Choire and a Dirige there sung for the French King who deceased the March precedent And on the next Day the Arch-bishop assisted with eight Bishops more all in rich Mitres and their other Pontificals did sing a Mass of Requiem and the Bishop of Rochester preached a Funeral Sermon A nice Matter was now put by the Council to the Arch-bishop having some other Bishops and Learned Men joined with him to the Number of Ten. The Case was Whether a Man divorced from his Wife for her Adultery might not lawfully marry again This was propounded upon the Account of a great Man in those Times namely the Brother of Queen Katherine Par Marquess of Northampton who had gotten a Divorce from his Wife the Daughter of Bourchier Earl of Essex for Adultery The Canon Law would not allow marrying again upon a Divorce making Divorce to be only a Separation from Bed and Board and not a Dissolving the Knot of Marriage This was a great Question depending among the Civilians And it being committed to the Determination of our Arch-bishop and some other Delegates tho the Marquess staid not for their Resolution but in this Interval married Elizabeth Daughter of the Lord Brook he searched so diligently into the Scriptures first and then into the Opinions of Fathers and Doctors that his Collections swelled into a Volume yet remaining in the Hands of a Learned Bishop of this Realm The Sum whereof is digested by the Bishop of Saâ—â—m Cranmer seemed to allow of Marriage in the Innocent Person He was a Means also to the Council of forbidding Processions Wherein the People carried Candles on Candlemass-day Ashes on Ash-wednesday Palms on Palm-sunday because he saw they were used so much to Superstition and looked like Festivals to the Heathen Gods So that this Year on Candlemass-day the old Custom of bearing Candles in the Church and on Ash-wednesday following giving Ashes in the Church was left off through the whole City of London He was a Member of a Committee this Winter appointed to examine all the Offices of the Church and to consider where they needed Reformation and accordingly to reform them Of this Commission were most of the Bishops and several others of the most Learned Divines in the Nation And a new Office for the Communion was by them prepared and by Authority set forth as was observed before and received all over England CHAP. V. The Arch-bishop's Catechism THIS Year the Arch-bishop put forth a very useful Catechism intituled A short Instruction to Christian Religion for the singular Profit of Children and young People This Catechism went not by way of Question and Answer but contained an easy Exposition of the Ten Commandments the Creed the Lord's Prayer and the two Sacraments The first and second Commandments were put together as one and the whole recital
of the Second omitted according to the use in those Times But that Commandment is explained under the first The Substance of this Book is grave serious and sound Doctrine It is said in the Title Page to be overseen and corrected by the Arch-bishop Indeed it was a Catechism wrote originally in the German Language for the use of the younger Sort in Norinberg Translated into Latin by Iustus Ionas Junior who now was entertained by the Arch-bishop in his Family and thence turned into our Vulgar Tongue by the said Arch-bishop or his special Order But 't is certain so great a Hand he had therein that in the Arch-bishop's first Book of the Sacrament he said that it was translated by himself and set forth Bishop Gardiner in his Book against the Arch-bishop takes advantage of two things in this Catechism against him as though he himself when he put it forth was of the Opinion of the Corporal Presence The one was a Picture that stood before the Book where was an Altar with Candles lighted and the Priest apparelled after the old Sort putting the Wafer into the Communicant's Mouth The other is an Expression or two used somewhere in the Book That with our bodily Mouths we receive the Body and Blood of Christ And that in the Sacrament we receive truly the Body and Blood of Christ. And this we must believe if we will be counted Christen Men. But to both Cranmer in his next Book against Gardiner made answer That as for the Picture it was that was set before the Dutch Edition of the Book and so none of his doing but that he afterwards caused the Popish Picture to be altered into a Picture representing Christ eating his last Supper with his Disciples As for the Expressions he said he taught that we in the Sacrament do receive the Body and Blood of Christ spiritually and that the words Really and Substantially were not used but Truly And in his Answer to Dr. Richard Smith's Preface wrote against the said Arch-bishop who it seems had twitted him also with this Catechism he spake largely of these his Expressions in his own Vindication There was another Book of the Arch-bishop's against Vnwritten Verities which I do by Conjecture place here as put forth under this Year or near this Time Which I suppose Dr. Smith nibbled at in his Book of Traditions which this Year he recanted The Book was in Latin and consisted only of Allegations out of the Bible and Ancient Writers In Queen Mary's Days the Book was again published by an English Exile naming himself E. P. The Title it now bore was A Confutation of Vnwritten Verities by divers Authorities diligently and truly gathered out of the Holy Scripture and Ancient Fathers By Tho. Cranmer late Arch-bishop and burned at Oxford for the Defence of the true Doctrine of our Saviour Translated and set forth by E. P. Before it is a Preface of the Translator to his Country-men and Brethren in England In it he lamented the woful State of Things in England by the Restoring of Popery and the Persecution of Protestants there and shewed what a kind of Man the chief Bishop then in England viz. Cardinal Pool was who in the last King's Reign went from Prince to Prince to excite them to make War against his own Prince and Country This Treatise is but a bare Collection of places of Holy Scripture and Ancient Fathers to prove That the Canon of the Bible is a true and sound and perfect Doctrine containing all Things necessary to Salvation That neither the Writing of the Old Fathers without the Word of God nor General Councils nor the Oracles of Angels nor Apparitions from the Dead nor Customs can be sufficient in Religion to establish Doctrine or maintain new Articles of Faith Then Reasons are given against Unwritten Verities and the places of Holy Scripture and other Writers which the Papists bring to maintain Unwritten Verities are answered At last the Objections of the Papists are confuted in a concluding Chapter Which last part was not writ by the Arch-bishop but by the Translator For relating here the Story of the Holy Maid of Kent he saith she was examined by Tho. Cranmer Arch-bishop of Canterbury And at last he saith I have plainly and fully answered to all that I remember the Papists do or can allege by Writing Preaching or Reasoning for the Defence of their Unwritten Verities on which they build so many detestable Idolatries and Heresies But yet if any be able to answer so plainly and truly to the Scriptures Authorities and Reasons rehearsed by me as I have done to theirs and to prove their Doctrines by as plain Testimonies and Reasons as I have done mine I shall not only acknowledg my Ignorance and Error but I shall gladly return into England recant my Heresies c. Hence it is plain that the Conclusion of the Book as well as the Preface was writ by the Translator I will add one Passage taken out of this Book about the middle whereby it may be seen what a Clergy was now in England Having quoted the Canons of the Apostles Let not a Bishop or Deacon put away his Wife c. He makes a heavy complaint against the frequent practice of beastly Sins in the Priests Adultery Sodomy c. and that they never were punished And in my Memory as he proceeds which is above thirty Years and also by the Information of others that be twenty Years elder than I I could never learn that one Priest was punished This is some Account of the Care he took for the Church in general as Metropolitan But he had a particular Care of his own Diocess now his Power was not checked as it was in the former Reign especially of the City of Canterbury which had been formerly the backwardest in Religion of any other Place of his Diocess He supplied this City with store of excellent Learned Preachers Turner the two Ridleys Becon Besely and Iohn Ioseph who this Year went along with the King's Visitors as one of their Preachers These converted not a few to sincere Religion as may appear by those Numbers of Canterbury that in Queen Mary's Reign suffered the Torment of Fire for their Profession of the Gospel But in that Reign all the Preachers fled so that there was scarce one remaining in the City Which was looked upon as a particular Sign of God's Displeasure against that Place because the Professors there and others reformed not themselves according to those Opportunities of Grace which God had put into their Hands And so I find in a Letter to them wrote by some eminent Person in Prison in Queen Mary's Reign Alas how few faithful Servants hath the Lord of Life in these troublesome Days within Canterbury to whom above all other People in comparison of multitude he hath sent most plenteously his Word in the Mouths of most excellent Preachers But even as the People were Negligent Hard-hearted nothing willing
our greatest cros may be to be absent from him and strangers from our home and that we may godly contend more and more to please him Amen c. As for your parts in that it is commonly thought your staff standeth next the door â—ee have the more cause to rejoyce and be glad as they which shal come to their fellowes under the Altar To the which Society God with you bring me also in his mercy when it shall be his good plesure I have received many good things from you my good Lord Master and dear Father N. Ridley Fruits I mean of your good labours Al which I send unto you again by this bringer Augustin Benher one thing except which he can tell I do keep upon your further plesure to be known therin And herewithal I send unto you a little treatise which I have made that you might peruse the same and not only you but also ye my other most dear and reverend Fathers in the Lord for ever to give your Approbation as ye may think good Al the prisoners here about in maner have seen it and read it and as therin they aggre with me nay rather with the truth so they are ready and wil be to signify it as they shal se you give them example The matter may be thought not so necessary as I seem to make it But yet if ye knew the great evil that is like hereafter to come to the posterity by these men as partly this bringer can signify unto you Surely then could ye not but be most willing to put hereto your helping hands The which thing that I might the more occasion you to perceive I have sent you here a writing of Harry Harts own hand Wherby ye may see how Christs glory and grace is like to loose much light if your sheep quondam be not something holpen by them that love God and are able to prove that al good is to be attributed only and wholly to Gods grace and mercy in Christ without other respects of worthines then Christs merits The effects of salvation they so mingle and confound with the cause that if it be not seen to more hurt will come by them than ever came by the Papists in as much as their life commendeth them to the world more then the Papists God is my witnes that I write not this but because I would Gods glory and the good of his peopâ—e In Free wil they are plain Papists yea Pelagians And ye know that Modicum fermenti totam Massam corrumpit They utterly contemn al learning But hereof shal this bringer show you more As to the chief captains therefore of Christs church here I complain of it unto you as truly I must do of you even unto God in the last day if ye wil not as ye can help something Vt veritas doctrinae maneat apud posteros in this behalf as ye have done on the behalf of matters expugned by the Papists God for his mercy in Christ guide you Most dearly beloved Fathers with his holy Spirit here and in al other things as most may make to his glory and the commodity of the Church Amen Al here God therfore be praised prepare themselves willingly to pledg our Captain Christ even when he wil and how he wil. By your good prayers we shal al fare the better and therefore we al pray you to cry to God for us as we God willing do and wil remember you My brethren here with me have thought it their duty to signify this need to be no less then I make it to prevent the plantations which may take root by these men Yours in the Lord Robert Ferrar Rowland Taylor Iohn Bradford Iohn Philpot. NUM LXXXIV The Prisoners for the Gospel their Declaration concerning K. Edward his Reformation To the King and Queens most excellent Majesties with their most honorable high court of Parlament WE poor Prisoners for Christs religion require your Honours in our dear Saviour Christs name earnestly now to repent for that you have consented of late to the unplaceing of so many godly lawes set furth touching the true religion of Christ before by two most Noble Kings being Father and brother to the Queens Highnes and aggreed upon by al your consents not without your great and many deliberations free and open disputations costs and paines taking in that behalf neither without great Consultations and conclusions had by the greatest learned men in the realm at Windsor Cambridg and Oxford neither without the most willing consent and allowing of the same by the whole Realm throughly So that there was not one Parish in al England that ever desired again to have the Romish Superstitions and vaine Service which is now by the Popish proud covetous clergy placed again in contempt not only of God al Heaven and al the holy ghostes lessons in the blessed Bible but also against the honors of the said two most noble Kings against your own Country fore aggreements and against al the godly consciences within this realm of England and elsewhere By reason wherof Gods great plagues must needs follow and great unquietnes of consciences besides al other persecutions and vexations of bodies and goods must needs ensue Moreover we certify your honours that since your said unplaceing of Christs true religion and true service and placing in the room therof Antichristâ— Romish Superstition heresy and idolatry al the true preachers have been removed and punished and that with such open robbery and cruelty as in Turky was never used either to their own Countrimen or to their mortal enemies This therfore our humble suit is now to your honourable estates to desire the same for al the mercies sake of our dear and only Savior Iesus Christ and for the duty you owe to your native Country and to your own souls earnestly to consider from what light to what darknes this realm is now brought and that in the weightiest chief and principal matter of Salvation of al our souls and bodies everlasting and for ever more And even so we desire you at this your assembly to seek some effectual reformation for the afore written most horrible deformation in this church of England And touching your selves we desire you in like maner that we may be called before your Honors and if we be not able both to prove and approve by the Catholic and Canonical rules of Christs true religion the church Homilies and Service set furth in the most innocent K. Edwards days and also to disallow and reprove by the same authorities the Service now set furth since his departing then we offer our bodies either to be immediately burned or else to suffer whatsoever other painful and shameful death that it shal please the King and Queens Majesties to appoint And we think this trial and probation may be now best either in the plain English tongue by Writing or otherwise by disputation in the same tongue Our Lord for his great mercy sake