own sinful flesh And therfore until Gods word came to light the Bp of Rome under the Prince of darknes rained quietly in the world and his Heresies were received and allowed for the true Catholic â—aiâ—h And it can none otherwise be but that Heresies must reign where the â—ight of Gods word driveth not away our darknes IX Your Eleventh Article is this WE wil have Dr. Moreman and Dr. Crispin which hold our opinions to be safely sent unto us and to them we require the Kings Majâ—sty to give some certain Livings to preach among us our Catholic faith If you be of Moremans and Crispins faith I like you much the worse For like Lettice like lipps And to declare you plainly the qualiti s s of Crispin and Moreman and how unmeet men they be to be your Teachers they be persons very ignorant in Gods word and yet therto very wilful crafty and ful of dissimulation For if they were profoundly learned and of sincere judgments as they be not they might be godly Teachers of you Or if they were not toto wilful and standing wholy in their own cenceits they might learn and be taught of others But they be so wilful that they wil not learn and so ignorant that they cannot teach and so ful of craft and hypocrisy that they be able to deceive you al and to lead you into error after themselves So that if you ask them you ask your own poyson Now if a man were in such a sicknes that he longed for poyson as many diseases desire things most noyâ—ul unto them yet it were not the part of a good Physician to give it unto them No more is it the office of a most godly Prince to give you such Teachers altho you long never so sore for them as he knoweth would corrupt you feeding you rather with sower and unwholsome leaven of Romish Pharisaical doctrin then with the sweet pure and wholsome bread of Gods heavenly word Where you would have Gods word in English destroyed and Crispin and Moreman delivered unto you you do even as the people of the Iews did who cryed out that Christ might be crucified and that Barabbas the strong thief might be delivered unto them XII Your Twelfth Article is this WE think it very meet because the L. Cardinal Pole is of the Kings bloud that he should not only have his pardon but also be sent for to Rome and promoted to be of the Kings Councel In this Article I wil answer no more but this if ever any Cardinal or Legate were beneficial unto this Realm we may have some hope of some other to follow his steps But if al that ever were in this Realm were pernitious and hurtful unto the same I know not why we should be with child to long for any mo For by the experience of them that have been heretofore we may conjecture of them that be to come And I fear me that Cardinal Pole would follow rather the old race of the rest than to begin a better of himself Surely I have read a book of his making which whosoever shal read if he have a true heart to our late Soveraign Lord K. Henry VIII or to this realm he wil judge Cardinal Pole neither worthy to dwel in this realm nor yet to live For he doth extend al his wits and eloquence in that book to persuade the Bp. of Rome the Emperor the French King and al other Princes to invade this realm by force And sure I am that if you have him you must have the Bp. of Rome also For the Cardinal cannot be a Subject but where the other is his Head This sufficeth briefly to this Article XIII Your Thirteenth Article is this WE wil that no Gentleman shal have any mo servants then one to wait upon him except he may dispend one hundred mark land And for every hundred mark we think it reasonable he should have a man Yet have you not foreseen one thing You Wise Disposers of the Common wealth For if a Gentleman of an hundred mark land who by your order must have but one servant except he might spend two hundred marks should send that one servant to London you have not provided who shal wait upon him until his servant come home again Nor you have not provided where every Gentleman may have one servant that can do al things necessary for him I fear me the most part of you that devised this Article whom I take to be Loiterers and idle unthrifts if they should serve a gentleman he should be faine to do al things himself for any thing that you could or would do for him For one thing methink very strange for where much complaint is made of divers Gentlemen because they keep not Houses you provide by your order that no Gentleman shal keep house but al shal sojourn with other men For who can keep a household with one servant or with two servants after the rate of two hundred mark or with three after the rate of three hundred and so upward For here it seems you be very desirous to make Gentlemen rich For after this proportion every Gentleman may lay up clearly in his Coffers at the least one half of his yearly revenues and much more But it was not for good mind that you bare to the Gentlemen that you devised this Article but it appeareth plainly that you devised it to diminish their strength and to take away their friends that you might command Gentlemen at your pleasures But you be much deceived in your account For altho by your appointment they lacked household servants yet shal they not lack Tenants and Farmers Which if they do their duties wil be as assured to their Lords as their own household servants For of these lands which they have or hold of their Lords they have their whole Livings for themselves their wives children and servants And for al these they attend their own busines and wait not upon their Lords but when they be called therto But the household servant leaving al his own busines waiteth daily and continually upon his Masters service and for the same hath no more but meat and drink and apparel for himself only So that al Tenants and Farmers which know their duties and be kind to their Lords wil dy and live with them no les then their own Household Servants Therefore I would wish you to put this fantasie out of your heads and this Article out of your book as wel for the unreasonablenes as for the ungodlines thereof For was it ever seen in any country since the world began that Commons did appoint the Nobles and Gentlemen the number of their Servants Standeth it with any reason to turn upside down the good order of the whole world that is every where and ever hath been That is to say The Commoners to be governed by the Nobles and the Servants by their Masters Wil you now have the Subjects to govern their King
to shew him the way and to expound to him the scripture yet did hee read And therefore God the rather provided for him a guide of the way that taught him to understand it God perceived his willing and toward mind and therfore hee sent him a Teacher by and by Therfore let no man be negâ—igent about his own health and salvation Though thou have not Philip alwayes when thou wouldest the holy Ghost which then moved and stiâ—red up Philip will bee ready and not fail thee if thou do thy diligence accordingly All these things bee written for us for our edification and amendment which bee born towards the latter end of the world The reading of the Scriptures is a great and strong bulwark or fortress against sin the ignorance of the same is a greater ruine and destruction of them that wil not know it That is the thing that bringeth in heresie that is it that causeth all corrupt and perverse Living that is it that bringeth all things out of good order Hitherto al that I have said I have taken and gathered out of the foresaid sermon of this holy Doctor S. Iohn Châ—ysostom Now if I should in like manner bring sorth what the self same Doctor speaketh in other places and what other Doctors and Writers say concerning the same purpose I might seem to you to write another Bible raâ—her then to make a Preface to the Bible Wherfore in few words to comprehend the largeness and utility of the Scripture how it containeth fruitful instruction and erudition for every man if any thing be necessary to be Learned of the holy Scripture we may learn it If falshood shall be reproved thereof wee may gather wherewithal If any thing bee to bee corrected and amended if there need any exhortation or consolation of the Scripture wee may wel learn In the Scriptures bee the fat pastures of the Soul therein is no venomous meat no unwholsome thing they bee the very dainty and pure feeding Hee that is ignorant shal find there what hee should learn Hee that is a perverse sinner shal there find his Damnation to make him to tremble for fear Hee that laboureth to serve God shal find there his Glory and the promissions of eternal life exhorting him more diligently to labour Herein may Princes learn how to govern their Subjects Subjects obedience Love and dread to their Princes Husbands how they should behave them unto their Wives how to educate their Children and Servants And contrary the Wives Children and Servants may know their dutie to their Husbands Parents and Masters Here may al maner of persons men women young old learned unlearned rich poor priests Laymen Lords Laâ—ies officers tenants and mean men Virgins Wives Widdowes Lawiers Merchants Artificers Husbandmen and al manner of persons of what estate or condition soever they bee may in this book learn all things what they ought to believe what they ought to do and what they should not do as wel concerning Almighty God as also concerning themselves and al other Briefly to the reading of the Scripture none can bee enemy but that either bee so sick that they Love not to hear of any medicine or else that bee so ignorant that they know not Scripture to bee the most healthful medicine Therefore as touching this former part I wil hear conclude and take it for conclusion sufficiently determined and appoynted that it is convenient and good the Scriptures to bee read of al sorts and kinds of people and in the vulgar tongue without further allegations and probations for the same which shal not need since that this one place of Iohn Chrysostom is enough and sufficient to persuade al them that bee not frowardly and perversely set in their own wilful opinion Specially now that the Kings Highnes being Supreme Head next under Christ of this church of England hath approved with his Royal assent the setting forth hereof Which onely to al true and obedient Subjects ought to bee a sufficient reason for the allowance of the same without further delay reclamation or resistance although there were no preface or other reason herein expressed Therefore now to come to the second and latter part of my purpose Here is nothing so good in this world but it may bee abused and turned from unhurtfull and wholsome to hurtful and noisome What is there above better then the Sun the Moon and the Stars Yet was there that took occasion by the great beauty and vertue of them to dishonour God and to defile themselves with idolatry giving the honour of the Living God and Creator of al things to such things as hee had created What is there here beneath better then fire Water meats drinks mettals of gold silver iron and steel Yet wee see daily great harm and much mischief done by every one of these as wel for lack of wisdome and providence of them that suffer evil as by the malice of them that work the evill Thus to them that bee evil of themselves every thing setteth forward and encreaseth their evil bee it of his own nature a thing never so good Like as contrarily to them that study and endeavour themselves to goodnes every thing prevaileth them and profiteth unto good bee it of his own nature a thing never so bad As S. Paul saith Hijs qui diligunt Deum omnia cooperantur in bonum All things do bring good success to such as do love God Even as out of most venimous wormes is made Triacle the most sovereign medicine for the preservation of mans health in time of danger Wherefore I would advise you all that come to the reading or hearing of this Book which is the word of God the most precious jewel and most holy Relique that remaineth upon earth that yee bring with you the fear of God and that yee do it with al reverence and use your knowledg thereof not to vain glory of frivolous disputation but to the honour of God encrease of vertue and edification both of your selves and other And to the intent that my words may bee the more regarded I wil use in this part the authority of S. Gregory Nazienzen like as in the other I did of S. Iohn Chrâ—sostom It appeareth that in his time there were some as I fear mee there bee also now at these dayes a great number which were idle bablers and talkers of the Scripture out of season and all good order and without any encrease of virtue or example of good living To them hee writeth al his first book De Theologia Whereâ—ore I shal briefly gather the whole effect and reciâ—e it here unto you There bee some saith hee whose not onely ears and tongues but also their fists bee whetted and ready bent al to contention and unprofitable disputation whom I would wish as they bee vehement and earnest to reason the matter with tongue so they were al Ready and practive to do good deeds But forasmuch as they subverting the order of
Nicene Creed The beginning of their Acquaintance The Archbishop propounds a weighty matter to Melancthon for the Union of all Protestant Churches The diligence of the Archbishop in forwarding this Design Mâ—lancthon's Judgment and Approbation thereof His Caveat of avoiding ambiguous expressions Renews the same Caution in another Letter Peter Martyr of this judgment What Melancthon thought of the Doctrine of Fate CHAP. XXV The Archbishop corresponds with Calvin The Archbishop breaks his purpose also to Calvin Calvin's Approbation thereof and Commendation of the Archbishop Offers his Service Excites the Archbishop to proceed This excellent purpose frustrated Thinks of drawing up Articles of Religion for the English Church Which he communicates to Calvin And Calvin's Reply and Exhortation Blames him for having not made more Progress in the Reformation But not justly The Clergy preach against Sacrilege The University-men declaim against it in the Schools And the Redress urged upon some at Court Calvin sends Letters and certain of his Books to the King Well taken by the King and Council What the Archbishop told the Messenger hereupon CHAP. XXVI The Archbishop highly valued Peter Martyr P. Martyr and the Archbishop cordial Friends The use the Archbishop made of him Martyr saw the Voluminous Writings and Marginal Notes of the Archbishop Two Letters of Martyr from Oxford An Instance of his love to the Archbishop CHAP. XXVII The Archbishop's favour to John Sleidan the Historian The Archbishop's favour to Iohn Sleidan Procures him a Pension from the King The Payment neglected Sleidan labours with the Archbishop to get the Pension confirmed by Letters-Patents Sends his Commentaries to the King Designs to write the History of the Council of Trent For the King's use Sends the King a Specimen thereof In order to the proceeding with his Commentaries desires Cecyl to send him the whole Action between K. Henry VIII and Pope Clement VII Bucer writes to Cecyl in behalf of Sleidan Iohn Leland CHAP. XXVIII Archbishop Cranmer 's Relations and Chaplains His Wives and Children His Wife survived him Divers Cranmers The Archbishop's stock Aslacton Whatton The Rectories whereof the Archbishop purchased His Chaplains Rowland Taylor His Epitaph A Sermon preached the day after his Burning Wherein the Martyr is grosly slandered Iohn Ponett Thomas Becon Richard Harman CHAP. XXIX Archbishop Cranmer 's Officers Robert Watson the Archbishop's Steward His Secretary Ralph Morice His Parentage Well known to divers eminent Bishops Presents Turner to Chartham And stands by him in his Troubles for his faithful Preaching An Instance of the Archbishop's Kindness to this his Secrerary Morice his Suit to Q. Elizabeth for a Pension His second Suit to the Queen to confirm certain Lands descended to him from his Father He was Register to the Commissioners in K. Edward's Visitation Suffered under Q. Mary Morice supplied Fox with many material Notices in his Book Morice a Cordial Friend to Latimer CHAP. XXX A Prospect of the Archbishop's Qualities Morice's Declaration concerning the Archbishop His Temperance of Nature His Carriage towards his Enemies Severe in his behaviour towards offending Protestants Stout in God's or the King's Cause His great Abilities in answering the King's Doubts Cranmer studied three parts of the Day Would speak to the King when none else durst Lady Mary Q. Katherine Howard His Hospitality Falsly accused of Ill Housekeeping CHAP. XXXI Archbishop Cranmer preserved the Revenues of his See The preserving the Bishops Revenues owing to the Archbishop The Archbishop vindicated about his Leases By long Leases he saved the Revenues Justified from diminishing the Rents of the See Oâ—ford and Knol Curleswood Chislet Park Pasture and Medow Woods Corn. The best Master towards his Servants An Infamy that he was an Hostler CHAP. XXXII Some Observations upon Archbishop Cranmer Observations upon the Archbishop His Learning very profound His Library An excellent Bishop His Care of his own Diocess At the great Towns he preached often Affected not his high Stiles His diligence in reforming Religion Puts K. Henry upon a purpose of reforming many things The King again purposeth a Reformation Hs Influence upon K. Edward CHAP. XXXIII Archbishop Cranmer procures the use of the Scriptures A great Scripturist Procures the publishing the English Bible The Bishops oppose it The first Edition of the Bible The Preface to the Bible made by the Archbishop The Contents thereof The Frontispiece of Cranmer's Edition of the Bible CHAP. XXXIV Archbishop Cranmer compassionate towards Sufferers for Religion His Affection and Compassion towards Professors of the Gospel Particularly for Sir Iohn Cheke a Prisoner And the Lord Russel A Patron to such as preached the Gospel in K. Henry's days His Succour of Afflicted Strangers in K. Edward's days England harborous of Strangers The Archbishop's favour to Foreigners Unjustly charged with Covetousness His Words to Cecyl upon this Charge Reduced as he feared to stark Beggary before his Death CHAP. XXXV Some account of Archbishop Cranmer'â— Housekeeping Some Account of his Housekeeping Retrenches the Clergy's superfluous House-keeping His Pious Design therein Others charged him with Prodigality CHAP. XXXVI Archbishop Cranmer Humble Peaceable Bold in a good Cause Humble and Condescending Peaceable and Mild. His Speech upon the News of Wars abroad Unacquainted with the Arts of Court-Flattery Would never crouch to Northumberland He and Ridley fall under that Duke's displeasure Bold and undaunted in God's Cause Falsly charged with Cowardice and too much Flexibility Of ardent Affections Cranmâ—r compared with Cardinal Wolsey CHAP. XXXVII Osiander 's and Peter Martyr 's Character of the Archbishop Osiander's Character of the Archbishop And Peter Martyr's Bale's Character of the Archbishop The difficult times wherein Cranmer lived CHAP. XXXVIII The Archbishop vindicated from Slanders of Papists A lying Character of this Archbishop by a late French Author Allen's Calumny of the Archbishop Wiped off Cleared from his Charge of Apostacy Saunders Falshoods of the Archbishop Parsons his Complements to the Archbishop Fox in behalf of Cranmer The Conclusion Errata and Emendations belonging to the Memorials Where the Reader finds this mark * after the Figure denoting the Line he is to tell from the bottom PAge 5. Line 21. for At read All. P. 29. l. 11. r. Imprisoned P. 30 31. in the Margent in three places r. 1534. P. 36. l. 8. after Appendix Note That the Dissolution of S. Swithins in Winchester tho laid here under the year 1535. happened not that year but about five years after viz. 1540. But the occasion of the Discourse there which was of the vast Wealth obtained to the King by the Fall of Religious Houses made the Author produce it in this place as an Instance thereof Ibid. l. 20. * r. Diocesan P. 37. Among the Diocesan Bishops Consecrated under the year 1535 place Hugh Latymer Consecrated Bishop of Worcester and Iohn Hildesly or Hilsey a Friar of the Order of Preachers first of Bristow and afterwards of Oxford Consecrated Bishop of Rochester next after Iohn Fisher Executed for Treason These two
that have fallen into my hands I shall pass over in a few words his earlier Days because I have so much to say of him in his riper Years Aslacton a Town in the County of Nottingham was the Place of his Birth and the second Day of Iuly in the Year 1489 was the Day of it He was the Son of Thomas Cranmer Esq a Gentleman of a right ancient Family whose Ancestor came in with the Conqueror And for a long Series of Time the Stock continued in good Wealth and Quality as it did in France for there were extant of his Name and Family there in the Reign of Henry the Eighth One whereof came then into England in company with the French Ambassador To whom for Relation-sake our Bishop gave a noble Entertainment Our Youth was put to learn his Grammar of a rude Parish-Clerk in that barbarous Age. Under whom he learn'd little and endured much from the harsh and curst Disposition of his School-master Though his Father were minded to have his Son educated in Learning yet he would not he should be ignorant of Civil and Gentleman-like Exercises Insomuch that he used himself to Shoot And many times his Father permitted him to Hunt and Hauk and to ride rough Horses So that when he was Bishop he feared not to ride the roughest Horses that came into his Stables which he would do very comely As otherwise at all times there was not any in his House that would become an Horse better And after his Studies when it was time for Recreation he would both Hauk and Hunt the Game being prepared for him And sometimes he would shoot in the Long-Bow and many times kill the Deer with his Cross-Bow though his Sight was not perfect for he was pore-blind But to return to his younger Days He lost his Father early but his Mother at the Age of fourteen Years Anno 1503 sent him to study at Cambridg Where he was nursled in the grossest kind of Sophistry Logick Philosophy Moral and Natural Not in the Text of the old Philosophers but chiefly in the dark Riddles of Duns and other subtile Questionists And in these he lost his Time till he came to two and twenty Years of Age. After that he gave himself to the reading of Faber Erasmus good Latin Authors four or five Years together unto the Time that Luther began to write And then considering what great Controversy was in Matters of Religion not only in Trifles but in the chiefest Articles of our Salvation he bent himself to try out the Truth herein And forasmuch as he perceived he could not judg indifferently in such weighty Matters without the Knowledg of the Holy Scriptures therefore before he was infected with any Man's Opinions or Errors he applied his whole Study three Years therein After this he gave his Mind to good Writers both New and Old not rashly running over them for he was a slow Reader but a diligent Marker of whatsoever he read seldom reading without Pen in Hand And whatsoever made either for the one Part or the other of things in Controversy he wrote it out if it were short or at least noted the Author and the Place that he might find it and write it out at leisure which was a great help to him in debating of Matters ever after This kind of Study he used till he was made Doctor of Divinity which was about the Thirty-fourth Year of his Age and about the Year 1523. But before this being Master of Arts and Fellow of Iesus College he married a Gentleman's Daughter And then leaving the College he read the Common Lecture in Buckingham College before that called Monks College because Monks studied there but now Magdalen College But in a Year after his Wife travailing with Child both she and the Child died And being now single again immediately the Master and Fellows of his old College chose him in Fellow again where he remained During his Residence here divers of the ripest and solidest sort of Scholars were sought out of this University of Cambridg to be transplanted into Cardinal Wolsey's new College in Oxon to be Fellows there Our Cranmer was nominated for one by Dr. Capon to whom that Matter was as it seems intrusted by the Cardinal And tho the Salary was much more considerable there and the way to Preferment more ready by the Favour of the Cardinal to such as were his own Scholars yet he refused to go chusing rather to abide among his old Fellow-Collegians and more closely to follow his Studies and Contemplations here though he were not without danger for his incompliance with this Invitation giving them that were concerned great Offence hereat But of those that went from Cambridg at this time who were all Men pick'd out for their Parts and Learning these were the chief Clark Friar afterwards Doctor of Physick Sumner Harman afterwards Fellow of Eaton Betts afterwards Chaplain to Queen Ann. Cox afterwards School-master to King Eâ—ward Frith afterwards a Martyr Baily Godman Drum afterwards one of the six Preachers at Canterbury Lawney afterwards Chaplain to the Duke of Norfolk All these were cast into Prison for suspicion of Heresy and divers through the hardship thereof died So that well it was for Cranmer that he went not Soon after he took his Degree of Doctor of Divinity and became the Reader of the Divinity-Lecture in his own College And out of the value the University had of his Learning he was appointed one of the Examiners of such as commenced Batchelors and Doctors in Divinity According to whose Approbations the University allowed them to proceed In which Place he did much Good for he used to examine these Candidates out of the Scriptures And by no means would let them pass if he found they were unskilful in it and unacquainted with the History of the Bible So were the Friars especially whose Study lay only in School-Authors Whom therefore he sometimes turned back as insufficient advising them to study the Scriptures for some Years longer before they came for their Degrees it being a shame for a Professor in Divinity to be unskilled in the Book wherein the Knowledg of God and the Grounds of Divinity lay Whereby he made himself from the beginning hated by the Friars Yet some of the more ingenuous sort of them afterward rendred him great and publick Thanks for refusing them whereby being put upon the Study of God's Word they attained to more sound Knowledg in Religion One of these was Dr. Barat a White Friar who lived afterwards in Norwich Not long after this King Henry being perswaded that the Marriage between him and Q. Katharine Daughter to K. Ferdinand of Spain was unlawful and naught by Dr. Longland Bishop of Lincoln his Confessor and other of his Clergy he sent to six of the best learned Men of Cambridg and as many of Oxford to debate this Question Whether it were
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
Visitors were reduced to one viz. Dr. VVright And in concusion the Arch-bishop gave them a Set of Injunctions Declarations and Interpretations of their Statutes to the number of Four and twenty One was for the better frequenting Chappel and singing the Service Another for the Residence of the Warden not to be absent above sixty Days in a Year The rest were to observe at the Dean's Command the solemn Times of Disputation That such Bachelors of Arts that were Fellows should take their Degrees of Masters of Arts when they were standing for it That several of them being Masters of Arts should take Priests Orders That the Master and the rest Fellows and Scholars should wear long Gowns to their Heels plain Shirts and not gathered about the Neck and Arms and adorned with Silk and the rest should wear decent Garments Concerning keeping Boys beside such as were Servants that if any of the Fellows Scholars or Servants of the College shall keep any poor Scholars Boy or Youth to lodg with him in his Chamber or within the College to nourish him with the Fragments of the College after such a Day that he be then admonished by the Warden or Sub-warden c. and such Boys to be expelled the College But it seems this Visitation did not effect the good Ends intended by it For not long after another Commission for the Visitation of this College was given by the Arch-bishop to Iohn Barbar LL. D. Official of his Court of Canterbury In the Month of October there issued out the King's Letters to our Arch-bishop for taking away superstitious Shrines Which I suppose the Arch-bishop himself procured having complained to the King how little effect former Orders from his Majesty had taken and particularly in his own Church for the Images and Bones of supposed Saints with all the Monuments of their pretended Miracles to be taken away and defaced and how his Injunctions were illuded which commanded that there should be no Offerings nor setting up Candles to them in any Church and specially in the Cathedral Church of Canterbury which once before had been scoured of these Superstitions when Thomas a Becket's Tomb and the the Riches thereof were taken away The King in this Letter commanded him to cause due search to be made in his Cathedral Church for Shrines and coverings of Shrines â— and to take them away that there remain no memory thereof and to command all the Curats and Incumbents of Livings to do the like The King's Letters were as follow By the KING MOST Reverend Father in God right Trusty and right intirely Well-beloved We greet you well Letting you wit that whereas heretofore upon the Zeal and Remembrance which we had to our bounden Duty towards Almighty God perceiving sundry Superstitions and Abuses to be used and embraced by our People whereby they grievously offended Him and his Word We did not only cause the Images and Bones of such as they resorted and offered unto with the Ornaments of the same and all such Writings and Monuments of fained Miracles wherewith they were illuded to be taken away in all places of our Realm but also by our Injunctions commanded that no Offering or setting of Lights or Candles should be suffered in any Church but only to the Blessed Sacramenâ— of the Altar It is lately come to our knowledg that this our good Intent and Purpose notwithstanding the Shrines Coverings of Shrines and Monuments of those things do yet remain in sundry places of our Realm much to the slander of our Doings and to the great Displeasure of Almighty God the same being means to allure our Subjects to their former Hypocrisies and Superstition and also that our Injunctions be not kept as appertaineth Fro for the due and speedy reformation whereof we have thought meet by these our Letters expresly to Will and Command you that incontinently upon the Receipt hereof you shall not only cause due search to be made in your Cathedral Church for those things and if any Shrine Covering of Shrine Table Monument of Miracles or other Pilgrimage do there continue to cause it to be taken away so as there remain no memory of it But also that you shall take order with all the Curats and others having Charge within your Diocess to do the Semblable And to see that Our Injunctions be duly kept as appertaineth without failing as we trust you and as you woll answer to the contrary Yeven under our Signet at our Town of Hull the iiii day of October in the xxxiiii Year of our Reign This was dated from Hull for the King was now in his Progress towards Scotland to meet the Scots King according to appointment though he met him not Whereupon the Arch-bishop by his Letter dated from Lambeth Oct. 15. to Richard Lyel LL. D. Dean of the Deaneries of Shoreham Croyden Bocking Risburgh Terring and Pageham enjoined him to take care to execute the King's Will To cite before him with all speed all and singular the Ministers of the Collegiate Churches and Rectors Vicars and Priests of the Parish-Churches within the Deaneries aforesaid and then to declare to them the Contents of the King's Letters and to command them to observe exactly the King's Injunctions The like Letters he also sent to Edmond Cranmer Arch-deacon of Canterbury An Answer to which the said Edmond wrote to the Arch-bishop dated Oct. 29. signifying his doing according to the Arch-bishop's Commandment The like were written to Hugh Glazier the Arch-bishop's Commissary General in the Town of Calais and the Marches of the same Who sent his Answer to the Arch-bishop Nov. 24. from the Town of Calais I am apt to think that these Letters of the King were Circulary and sent with the same Command to all the Bishops to see executed in their several Diocesses though the Effect of them was according as the Bishops themselves stood affected This Year an exchange was made by the Abp of the Mannor of Bishopsbâ—rn for Bekesburn with Sir Iohn Gage Comptroller of the King's Houshold Bekesburn anciently called Livingsbâ—rn was healthfully and conveniently seated lying an easy distance from Canterbury whensoever the Arch-bishops were minded to be retired This place ABp Parker took a great delight in and intended greatly to enlarge by Buildings but died before he began his Purpose ABp Cranmer made considerable Buildings here and probably would have done more had he continued in his Prelacy In the Year 1552 he finished the Gate-house now standing as appears from the North and South sides thereof wherein are two Stones set in the Brick-work with the Letters of his Name T. C. and Coat of Arms and Motto Nosce Teipsum Deum together with the Date 1552. This Mannor now returned to the Church again from whence it had been for some time severed only the Owners changed For whereas before the Dissolution of the Monasteries it belonged to the Priors of Christ-Church Canterbury now it came to the Arch-bishops This
sent also their Benevolences Among these was Christopher Duke of Wirtemberg who gave at one time to the Exiled English at Strasburgh three or four hundred Dollers besides what he gave at Frankford as Grindal Bishop of London signified to Secretary Cecyl in the Year 1563 when that Prince had sent a Gentleman upon Business to the Queen The Bishop desired the Secretary to move the Queen to make some signification to this Person that She had heard of his Master 's former Kindness to the poor English that it might appear his Liberality was not altogether buried in Oblivion Or at least he wished some remembrance thereof might pass from the Secretary's own Mouth CHAP. XVI Many Recant Some go to Mass. MANY of the Clergy that were very forward Men under K. Edward now by the Terror of the Times recanted and subscribed And these were of two Sorts Some out of weakness did it but persisted not in it But as soon as they could revoked their Subscriptions and Recantations and after their Releases and Escapes out of Prison made a sorrowful Confession in publick of their Falls Of this sort were Scory and Barlow Bishops Iewel and others But some after their Recantations persisted in the Popish Communion Of this sort was Bush and Bird Bps Harding Chaplain to the D. of Suffolk to whom the Lady Iane sent an Expostulatory Letter Sydal and Curtop of Oxon Pendleton West c. Of this last-named Person let me cast in here one or two Remarks West was in Orders and had been Steward to Bishop Ridley Of whom the said Bishop wrote thus to Grindal then in Strasburg That his old Companion and sometime his Officer relented but that the Lord had shortned his Days For it was but a little after his Compliance that he died Fox writes the Occasion of it namely That when he had relented and said Mass against his Conscience he shortly after pined away and died for Sorrow When his Master the Bishop was laid in Prison for Religion he shrank away and out of his compassion to him being very loth as it appeared that his said Master should be put to Death he wrote a Letter to him whereby to move him if he could to alter his Judgment The Contents of whose Letter may be gathered out of Ridley's Answer Which Answer being so excellent I have put into the Appendix as I transcribed it out of a Manuscript Which concluded thus in Answer to a Sentence that West had concluded his with namely That he must agree or die the Bishop told him in the Word of the Lord that if he and all the rest of his Friends did not Confess and Maintain to their Power and Knowledg what was grounded upon God's Word but either for Fear or Gain shrank and played the Apostates they themselves should die the Death After the receit of which Answer West either out of Compassion to his Master or rather out of Anguish for his own Prevarication died within a few Days himself and his Master out-lived him and writ the News thereof into Germany to Grindal his Fellow-Chaplain as was said before The Persecution was carried on against the Gospellers with much Fierceness by those of the Roman Perswasion who were generally exceeding Hot as well as Ignorant Chiefly headed by two most cruel-natured Men Bishop Gardiner and Bishop Boner in whose Diocesses were London and Southwark and the next bordering Counties wherein were the greatest Numbers of Professors And the Servants were of the same Temper with their Masters One of Boner's Servants swore By his Maker's Blood That wheresoever he met with any of these vile Hereticks he would thrust an Arrow into him Many now therefore partly out of Fear and Terror and partly out of other worldly Considerations did resort to Mass though they approved not of it and yet consorted likewise with the Gospellers holding it not unlawful so to do viz. That their Bodies might be there so long as their Spirits did not consent And those that used this Practice bore out themselves by certain Arguments which they scattered abroad This extraordinarily troubled the good Divines that were then in Prison for the Cause of Christ and particularly Bradford Who complained in a Letter to a Friend That not the tenth Person abode in God's Ways and that the more did part Stakes with the Papist and Protestant So that they became maungy Mongrels to the infecting of all the Company with them to their no small Peril For they pretended Popery outwardly going to Mass with the Papists and tarrying with them personally at their Antichristian and Idolatrous Service but with their Hearts they said and with their Spirits they served the Lord. And so by this means said he as they saved their Pigs I mean their worldly Pleasures which they would not leese so they would please the Protestants and be counted with them for Gospellers This whole Letter deserveth to be transcribed as I meet with it in one of the Foxian Manuscripts but that I find it printed already at Oxon by Dr. Ironside in the Year 1688. The same Bradford counselled the true Protestants not to consort with these Compliers but to deal with them as a certain eminent Man named Simeon Arch-bishop of Seleucia did with Vstazades an antient Courtier to Sapores King of Persia who by his Threatnings and Perswasions had prevailed with the said Courtier a Christian to bow his Knee to the Sun For which base compliance Simeon passing by where this Vstazades was formerly his great Friend and Acquaintance would not now look at him but seemed to contemn and despise him Which when he perceived it pierced him so to the Heart that he began to pull asunder his Clothes and to rend his Garments and with weeping Eyes cryed out Alas that ever he had so offended God in his Body to bow to the Sun For saith he I have herein denied God although I did it against my Will And how sore is God displeased with me with whom mine old Father and Friend Simeon his dear Servant will not speak nor look towards me I may by the Servant's Countenance perceive the Master's Mind This Lamentation came to the King's Ear and therefore he was sent for and demanded the Cause of his Mourning He out of Hand told him the Cause to be his unwilling bowing to the Sun By it said he I have denyed God And therefore because he will deny them that deny him I have no little cause to complain and mourn Wo unto me for I have played the Traitor to Christ and also dissembled with my Leige Lord. No Death therefore is sufficient for the least of my Faults and I am worthy of two Deaths When the King heard this it went to his Stomach for he loved Vstazades who had been to him and to his Father a faithful Servant and Officer Howbeit the Malice of Satan moved him to cause this Man to be put to Death Yet in this Point he
Prison skulking about for some time at length he saved himself by Exile He was a Man mightily tossed about For to look upon him before this in King Henry's Reign then for his Security he was forced to leave his Friends and Country wandring as far as Darbyshire and the Peak where he privately taught School for a Subsistence And coming a mere Stranger into Alsop in the Dale one Mr. Alsop a pious Man in that barbarous Country shewed him great Civility Afterwards he travelled into Stafforâ—shire where he also educated Children in good Literature and instilled into their Minds the Principles of Christian Doctrine After a Year's tarrying there and in Leicester-shire he flitted into Warwick-shire where he taught also divers Gentlemens Sons and where he met with old Father Latimer to his great Joy who had first made him acquainted with the Gospel when he was a Scholar in Cambridg twenty Years before He wrote a great many Books forty in number suted to the various Occasions of Christians both in the Persecutions under Queen Mary and the free Profession and Restoration of the Gospel under King Edward and Queen Elizabeth and many more against the Religion of the Roman Church All these did this learned and painful Author compose for the Benefit of the Professors of Religion Whereby he did such Service to the enlightning of Mens Minds in the knowledg of the Truth and for the exposing the Corruptions of Popery that it was thought convenient that some of that Communion should be employed to write against him And so Richard Smith sometime Reader of Divinity in Oxon and one that had subscribed to the Reformed Religion and after fled into Brabant and became a zealous Assertor of Popery writ in a bitter Stile against some of Becon's Books as he had done against the Arch-bishop himself before I find this Becon put up to preach one of the Lent Sermons at St. Pauls Cross in the Year 1566. And such then was his Fame for a Preacher and such his Favour with the greatest Prelats that the Lord Mayor for that Year sent a Message to Arch-bishop Parker That his Grace would prevail with him to preach one of the Sermons at the Spittle that Easter In the Year 1564 he revised and reprinted all his former Books in three Volumes dedicating the whole to all the Arch-bishops and Bishops of the Realm And in Commendation thereof Parkhurst Bishop of Norwich wrote these Verses to him Vidi perlegi doctos Baecone Libellos Quos tua non pridem Sancta Minerva dedit Dispeream siquid legi unquam sanctius aut si Quid potuit populo tradier utilius Auspice perge Deo tales vulgare Libellos Vaniloquax sed nec lingua timenda tibi est Sic Christum possis avido inculcare popello Sic possis nomen condecorare tuum Besides these there was his Postil being Godly and Learned Sermons on all the Sunday-Gospels in the Year Printed in Quarto in the Year 1567. I shall say no more of his Chaplains after I shall have mentioned Richard Harman Who seems to have been one of his first Chaplains being once of King's-College but went away Scholar probably for Religion afterwards lived in Iesus-College and commenced Master of Arts with Cranmer Whom he also preferred to be his Domestick afterwards This Man was one of those Cambridg-Men that were elected into S. Frideswide's-College in Oxon and suffered much there for Religion He was afterwards a Canon of Windsor but fell back to Popery CHAP. XXIX Arch-bishop Cranmer's Officers I Shall now add a few words of Two of his Civil Officers His Steward and his Secretary on Nevyl was his Steward in K. Henry's Reign who conducted Sir Iohn Seimour coming with a Message from the King through the Hall when the Tables were sumptuously set unto the ABp at Dinner him I have nothing to say of But he had another afterwards named Robert Watson born in Norwich of whom I have a word or two say He was a great Civilian and an Exile for Religion in Queen Mary's Reign But before his escape beyond Sea he lay in Prison in Norwich a Year and four Months saith Bale almost two Years saith Fox And then was most fortunately delivered without doing any Violence to his Conscience by the Subscription which he made Being Abroad he wrote a Piece intituled Aetiologia to all that sincerely professed Christ wheresoever dispersed especially his Countrymen the English banished with him In this Tract he gave a Relation of himself and his Imprisonment and Escape and of the Disputes that happened between him and his Adversaries concerning Transubstantiation and the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament and by what means he escaped safe in Body and Conscience Which was a rare Matter to do from such Inquisitors It was propounded to him to set his Hand to these words viz. That he believed and confessed that the Bread and Wine in the Eucharist through the Omnipotency of God's Word pronounced by the Priest were turned into the Body and Blood of Christ and after Consecration under the Forms of Bread and Wine remained the true Body and Blood of Christ and no other Substance To which he made this Subscription His omnibus eatenus assentior subscribo quatenus Verbo Dei nituntur eoque sensu quo sunt ab Ecclesia Catholica a Sanctis Patribus intellecta By the Means of one Dr. Barret a Learned Friar of Norwich he was upon this favourable Subscription dismissed But Christopherson Dean of Norwich when he understood it was much incensed and laid out to take him again But he by the help of Friends escaped over the Seas Now lastly of Ralph Morice his Secretary so much employed and so greatly intrusted by our Arch-bishop it may not be amiss to set down a few Memorials He was his Secretary not so much for ordinary Matters incident to his Archiepiscopal Office as his Amanuensis for Learned Treatises and Discourses which he composed In this Place he remained for twenty Years that is from the Arch-bishop's first entrance upon his See to the Death of King Edward VI his good Master He was a very considerable Person and of good Birth being the Son of Iames Morice of Royden in the County of Essex Esq. Which Iames was sometime Servant unto the Lady Margaret Countess of Richmond and Derby and Clerk of her Kitchin and Master of her Works and particularly of Christs-College and S. Iohns in Cambridg both which she founded He also and his Son William were joint Receivers of the Lands called Richmond-Lands and other Lands called the Recovered-Lands Our Ralph by reason of his Service about the Arch-bishop was well known to Bishop Heth Bishop Thirlby Bishop Cox Bishop Barlow and Bishop Scory Men that were much about the Arch-bishop and his Friends and who were privy to those Volumes that the Secretary writ out for his Master He dwelt sometime in Chartham not far from Canterbury and had the
twelve Farmes for one and twenty Years taking no manner of Fine for them all these Farmes by and by were put into an Exchange for the King And the King had them not in Possession six Days but they were my Lord North's and other Mens And they were not past one Year in their Possessions but that the Reversion of every of them was sold for more Years some for an hundred Pounds and some for more and some for less making Sweepstakes of altogethers And so was my Lord used in all things almost that he did let out for one and twenty Years By means whereof Justice Hales and other of his Counsel learned in the Laws advised him to let out his Farmes for many Years which might be a mean that they should not be so much desired in Exchanges as they were For those Farmes which came to my Lord came with Years enough upon their Backs And so upon this Conclusion my Lord was fain to alter his Purpose in letting of his Farmes Whereupon he did let S. Gregories in Canterbury to Mr. Nevyl the Priory of Dover Chislet-Park and Curleswood-Park with others for so many Years as he did on purpose to stay them or else he had gone without them one time or other And as I heard say since your Grace was Elect Curleswood-Park was in Exchange and the Rent thereof paid for one half Year unto the Queen's Use. But so soon as they understood there were so many Years to come it was reversed to the Arch-bishoprick again So that hereby partly may be perceived in what State my Lord Cranmer stood with his Lands And as touching the diminishing of his Rents Houses and other Commodities for the Provision of his Hospitality if all things be well pondered he had left the same in better State than he found it For as touching his Exchanges Men ought to consider with whom he had to do especially with such a Prince as would not be bridled nor be gain-said in any of his Requests unless Men would danger altogethers I was by when Otford and Knol were given him My Lord minded to have retained Knol unto himself said That it was too small an House for his Majesty Mary said the King I had rather have it than this House meaning Otford for it standeth on a better Soil This House standeth low and is Rheumatick like unto Croiden where I could never be without Sickness And as for Knol it standeth on a sound perfect wholesome Ground And if I should make abode here as I do surely mind to do now and then I will live at Knol and most of my House shall live at Otford And so by this means both those Houses were delivered up into the King's Hands And as for Otford it is a notable great and ample House Whose Reparations yearly cost my Lord more than Men would think And so likewise did Maidstone which had no manner of Commodity to belong unto it And I am sure that after certain Exchanges past between the King and him there were an hundred Marks a Year or thereabouts allowed unto him in his last Exchanges for Recompence of Parks and Chases And yet those Parks and Chases beside the Provision of his Venison stood him yearly in much more by the reason of the Patents and Fees belonging unto them than he by any means else got by them For as for Curleswood it stood him in twenty Nobles a Year Fee And yet there was no Gain in it but only Conies which the Keeper had also in his Patent So that the Arch-bishop by suppressing of that and raising that small Rent it payeth may spend thereby seven Pounds a Year more than it was accustomed to pay towards the Arch-bishoprick And touching Chislet-Park it came to my Lord in Exchange for eight Pounds a Year And the Farmer payeth ten Pounds So that thereby is gained forty Shillings a Year Wherefore it cannot be indifferently gathered that my Lord in preferring his Friends unto these things hath any whit hindred the Revenues of the Bishoprick And as touching Pasture and Meddow for the Provision of his House both at Croyden and about Canterbury Ford and Chislet there is thrice so much Meddow Pasture and Mersh as was left unto him And as for the Sale of his Woods like as he was driven to exchange them and sell them for to maintain his Hospitality especially having almost twenty Years together Learned Men continually sitting with him in Commission for the trying out and setting forth of the Religion received and for the discussing of other Matters in Controversy Some of them daily in Diet with him and some evermore living in his House So provided he again like Woods more commodious for his Houses As the Blene-Woods belonging to S. Austins and Pyne-Wood and others which be known well enough And as touching Provision for Corn out of Chislet-Court and in other Places it is incredible what a Business he had and adoe with Sir Christopher Hales for that Farm and Corn who challenged it of the King by Promise and so would have defeated my Lord thereof had not the King very benignely stood on his Side And it is no small Revenue to have yearly so much Corn both Wheat Malt and Oats at so mean a Price And therefore let Men leave off that Report of him that he was not beneficial to his Successors Other Bishops some of them lost whole Manors and Lordships without any Exchange at all Thus much my Conscience hath compelled me to say in defence of my Lord and Master his good Name Whom I knew to take as much Care for his Successors in that Bishoprick as ever did Arch-bishop or shall And would have as much advanced the same if the Iniquity of the World would have permitted him Now finally concerning his Behaviour towards his Family I think there was never such a Master among Men both feared and intirely beloved For as he was a Man of most gentle Nature void of all crabbid and churlish Conditions so he could abide no such Quality in any of his Servants But if any such Outragiousness were in any of his Men or Family the correction of those Enormities he always left to the ordering of his Officers who weekly kept a Counting-house And if any thing universally were to be reformed or talked of on that Day which commonly was Friday the same was put to Admonition And if it were a Fault of any particular Man he was called forth before the Company To whom warning was given That if he so used himself after three Monitions he should lose his Service There was an Infamy of him that he should have been an Hostler Which the ignorant Popish Priests for very Mâ—â—ice had published against him Saying That he had no manner of Lâ—â—rning at all more than Hostlers are wont to have And this Rumour sprang of that that when he had married his first Wife being Reader then of
offences but to pardon the punishment for the same If the King would pardon you would you take that for a pardon Would you not alledg your Pardon and say that you ought not to be punished Who can then that hath but a crum of reason in his head imagin of God that he wil after our death punish those things that he pardoned in our life time Truth it is that Scripture maketh mention of Paradise and Abrahams bosome after this life but those be places of joy and consolation not of pain and torments But yet I know what subtil Sophisters use to mutter in mens ears to deceive them withal David say they with many other were pardoned of their offences and yet were they sore punished after for the same of God And some of them so long as they lived Wel be it were so Yet after their lives they were not punished in Purgatory therfore But the end of their lives was the end of their punishment And likewise it is of Original sin after Baptism which altho it be pardoned yet after paines therof continue so long as we live But this punishment in this life time is not to revenge our Original sin which is pardoned in Baptism but to make us humble penitent obedient to God fearful to offend to know our selves and ever to stand in fear and aw as if a Father that hath beaten a wilful child for his faults should hang the rod continually at the childs girdle it should be no smal pain and grief to the child ever hanging by his side And yet the father doth it not to beat the child for that which is past and forgiven but to make him beware hereafter that he offend not again and to be gentle tractable obedient and loth to do any thing amiss But after this life there is no such cause of punishment Where no rod nor whip can force any man to go any faster or further being already at the end of his journey Likewise a Master that hath an unthrifty Servant which out of his Masters sight doth nothing but riot and disorder himself if he forgive his Servant and for the love he beareth to him and the desire he hath to se him corrected and reformed he wil command him never to be out of his sight This Command altho indeed it be a great pain to the Servant yet the Master doth it not to punish those faults which before he had pardoned and forgiven but to keep him in stay that he fal no mo to like disorder But these examples and casâ—s of punishment here in this life can in no wise be wrested and drawn to the life to come And so in no wise can serve for Purgatory And furthermore Seeing that the Scriptures so often and so diligently teach us almost in every place to relieve al them that be in necessity to feed the hungry to cloth the naked to visit the sick and the prisoner to comfort the sorrowful and so to al others that have need of our help and the same in no place make mention either of such pains in Purgatory or what comfort we may do them it is certain that the same is feigned for lucre and not grounded upon Gods word For else the Scripture in some place would have told us plainly what case they stood in that be in Purgatory and what relief and help we might do unto them But as for such as Gods word speaketh not one word of neither of them both my counsil shal be that you keep not the Bp. of Romes Decrees that you may come to Purgatory but keep Gods laws that you may come to heaven Or else I promise you assured y that you shal never escape Hel. Now to your next Article X. Your tenth Article is this WE wil have the Bible and al Books of Scripture in English to be called in again For we be informed that otherwise the Clergy shal not of long time confound the Heretics Alas it grieveth me to hear your Articles and much I rue and lament your ignorance praying God most earnestly once to lighten your eyes that you may see the truth What christen heart would not be grieved to se you so ignorant for willingly and wilfully I trust you do it not that you refuse Christ and joyne your selves with Antichrist You refuse the holy Bible and al holy Scriptures so much that you wil have them called in again and the Bp. of Romes Decrees you wil have advanced and observed I may wel say to you as Christ said to Peter Turne back again for you savor not godly things As many of you as understand no Latine cannot know Gods word but in English except it be the Cornish men which cannot understand likewise none but their own speech Then you must be content to have it in English which you know or else you must confes that you refuse utterly the knowledg therof And wherfore did the Holy Ghost come down in fiery tongues and gave them knowledge of al languages but that al Nations might hear speak and learn Gods word in their Mother tongue And can you name me any Christens in al the world but they have and ever had Gods word in their own tongue and the Jews to whom God gave his Scriptures in the Hebrew tongue after their long captivity among the Chaldees so that mo of them knew the Chaldee rather then the Hebrew tongue they caused the Scripture to be turned into the Chaldee tongue that they might understand it Which until this day is called Targum And Ptolomy King of Egypt caused Sixty Seventy of the greatest Clerks that might be gotten to translate the Scripture out of Hebrew into Greek And until this day the Greeks have it in the Greek tongue the Latines in the Latine tongue and al other Nations in their own tongue And wil you have God further from us then from al other countries that he shal speak to every man in his own language that he understandeth and was born in and to us shal speak a strange language that we understand not And wil you that al other Realmes shal laâ—d God in their own speech and we shal say to him we know not what Altho you savor so little of godlines that you â—ist not to read his word your selves you ought not to be so malicious and envious to let them that be more godly and would gladly read it to their comfort and edification And if there be an English Heretic how wil you have him confuted but in English And wherby else but by Gods word Then it followeth that to confute English Heretics we must have Gods word in English as al other Nations have it in their own native language S. Paul to the Ephesians teacheth al men as wel Lay-men as priests to arme themselves and to fight against al Adversaries with Gods word Without the which we cannot be able to prevail neither against subtil Heretics puissant Devils this deceitful world nor our
Fox Becomes Reader of the Civil Law at Oxon. Ath. Oxoniensâ— The ABp a Patron to Learned Foreigners To Erasmus allowing him an Honorary Pension Eras. Ep. 10. lib. 27. Ep. 7. lib. 27. To Alexander Aless a Scotch-man By him Melancthon sends a Book to the ABp And to the King Aless brought by Cromwel into the Convocation Where he asserts two Sacraments only Writes a Book to clear Protestants of the Charge of Schism Atrox Schismatis crimen Ep. 36. lib. 1. Satis excusat nos istorum horribilis crudelitas quam proâ—ecto nâ—que adjuvare neque approbare debemus Ubi supra Translated a Book of Bucer's about the English Ministry Received into Crumwel's Family Hist. Res. P.I. p. 308. Aless Professor of Divinity at Leipzig Mâ—l Ep. p. 3â—9 Edit 1647 Cum in Templis in Scholis doctrinam gabernes Mel. Ep. 111. lib. 3. Four others recommended by Melancthon to the ABp Viz. Gualter Dryander Ep. 7. lib. 3. Dryander placed at Oxon. Ad Ann. 1555. Eusebius Menius Mel. Ep. 66. lib. 1. Iustus Ionas Sleid. lib. 7. Ep. 129. lib. 1. No. XCII Divers memorable Passages between Melancthon and our ABp Sends Melancthon certain publick Disputations in Oxford and Cambridg Melancthon's Reflections thereupon Ep. 41. lib. 3. Sends the ABp his Enarration upon the Nicene Creed The beginning of their Acquaintance The ABp propounds a weighty Matter to Melancthon for the Union of all Protestant Churches The Diligence of the ABp in forwarding this Design Ep. 66. lib. 1. Melancthon's Judgment and Approbation thereof His Caveat of avoiding ambiguous Expressions In Ecclesia rectius est Scapham Scaphâ—m diceâ—e Renews the same Caution in another Letter Peter Martyr of this Judgment Quod Vir bonus sibi pâ—rsuasisset posse hac ratione tolli gravem quae est de hac causa Controversiam ita Ecclâ—siae pacem diâ— desideratam restitui In Vit. P. Mart. per Iosiam Sinlerâ—m Iosiaâ— Simâ—â— What Melancthon thought of the Doctrinâ— of Fate Calv. Ep. 12â— The ABp breaks his Purpose also to Calvin Calvin's Approbation thereof and Commendation of the ABp Offers his Service Excites the ABp to proceed This excellent Purpose frustrated Thinks of drâ—wing up Articles of Religion for the English Church Which he communicates to Calvin Ep. 125. And Calvin's Reply and Exhortation Blames him for having not made more Progress in the Reformation But not justly The Clergy preach against Sacriledg The University-Men declaim against it in the School And the Redress urged upon some at Court No. XCIII Calvin sends Letters and certain of his Books to the King Ep. 123. Well taken by the King and Council What the ABp told the Messenger hereupon Ep. 120. P. Martyr and the ABp cordial Friends The use the ABp made of him Ep. 127. Martyr saw the Voluminous Writings and Marginal Notes of the Arch-bishop Two Letters of Martyr from Oxford N. XCIV.XCV An instance of his Love to the Arch-bishop P. Martyr Ep. Theolog. The ABp's favour to Iohn Sleidan Procures him a Pension from the King The Paiment neglected Sleidan labours with the ABp to get the Pension confirmed by Letters Patents Sends his Commentaries to the King Designs to write the History of the Council of Trent For the King's Use. Anno 1553. Sends the King a Specimen thereof In order to the proceeding with his Commentaries desires Cecyl to send him the whole Action between K. H. VIII and P. Clement VII Bâ—cer writes to Câ—cyl in behalf of Slâ—idan No. XCVI XCVII.XCVIII.XCIX.C.CI.CII Feb. 27. 1551. Scriptae Anglic. Iohn Leland His Wives and Children His Wife survived him Sincere and modist Defence of English Catholicks MS. Life of Cranmer in Benet College Divers Cranmers Cranm. Regist. Suâ—â—er's Ant. Philpot 's Villar Cantian The AB's Stock Aslacton Whatton The Rectories whereof the ABp purchased His Chaplains Rowland Taylor His Epitaph A Sermon preached the Day after his Burning Inter Foxii MSS. Wherein the Martyr is grosly Slandered Iohn Ponet Stow. Tho. Becon Rich. Harman Rob. Watson the ABp's Steward His Secretary Ralph Morice His Parentage Well known to divers eminent Bishops Presents Turner to Chartham And stands by him in his Troubles for his faitâ—â—ul Preaching An Instance of the ABp's Kindness to this his Secretary Morice his Suit to Q. Elizabeth for a Pension His second Suit to the Queen to confirm certain Lands descended to him from his Father No. CIII He was Register to the Commissioners in K. Edward's Visitation Suffered under Q. Mary Morice supplied Fox with many material Notices in his Book Morice a cordial Friend to Latimer Fox Morice's Declaration concerning the ABp His Temperance of Nature His Carriage towards hiâ— Enemies Severe in his Behaviour towards offending Protestants Stout in God's or the King's Cause * Viz. The Erudition of a Christen Man The King sides with Cranmer against all the Bishops His great Ability in answering the King's Doubts Cranmer studied three parts of the Day Would speak to the King when none else durst Lady Mary Q. Katharine Howard His Hospitality Falsly accused of ill House-keeping The preserving the Bishops Revenues owing to the ABp The ABp vindicated about his Leases By long Leases he saved the Revenues Justified from diminishing the Rents of the See Otford Knol Curleswood Chislet-Park Pasture and Meddow Woods Corn. The best Master towards his Servants An Infamy that he was an Hostler Observations upon the ABp His Learning very profound His Library An excellent Bishop His Care of his own Diocess In the Benet-Library At the great Towns he preached often Affected not his high Stiles His diligence in reforming Religion Before his Treatise of Fasting Puts K. Henry upon a Purpose of reforming many things As long as Q. Ann T. Crumwel Bp Cranmer Mr. Denny Dr. Butts with such-like were about him and could prevail with him What Organ of Christ's Glory did more good in the Church than he As is apparent by such Monuments Instruments and Acts set forth by him in setting up the Bible in the Church in exploding the Pope with his vile Pardons in removing divers superstitious Ceremonies in bringing into order the inordinate Orders of Friars and Sects in putting Chantrey Priâ—sts to their Pensions in permitting white Meats in Lent in â—estroying Pilgrimage-Worship in abbrogating idle and superstitious Holy-days both by Acts Publick and by private Letters to Bóner Acts Monum p. 1147. a. Edit 1610. The King again purposeth a Reformation His Influence upon K. Edward A great Scripturist Ea verae Religionis cura apud Josiam nostrum imprimis Cantuariensem universum Concilium regium excubat ut in nulla re aequè laboratum sit quam ut Religionis tum Doctrina tum Disciplina ex Sacrarum Literarum Fonte purissimè bauriatur ut sentina illa Romana qua tot humanae Sordes in Ecclâ—siam Christi redâ—ndârunt sunditus obstruâ—tur Procures the publishing the English Bible The Bishops oppose it Defence of the EnglishTranslat Ch. 1. p. 4. Edit 1583. The first
the Vilains to rule the Gentlemen and the Servants their Masters If men would suffer this God wil not but wil take vengeance on al them that wil break his order as he did of Dathan and Abiram altho for a time he be a God of much sufferance and hideth his indignation under his mercy That the evil of themselves may repent and se their own folly XIV Your fourteenth Article is this WEE wil that the half part of the Abby lands and Chantry lands in every mans possession howsoever he came by them be given again to two places where two of the chief Abbies were within every County Where such half part shal bee taken out and there to be established a place for devout persons which shal pray for the King and the Common wealth And to the same we wil have al the Almes of the Church box given for these seven years At the beginning you pâ—etended that you meant nothing against the Kings Majesty but now you open your selves plainly to the world that you go about to pluck the Crown from his head and against al justice and equity not only to take from him such lands as be annexed unto his Crown and be parcel of the same but also against al right and reason to take from al other men such lands as they came to by most just title by gift by sale by exchange or otherwise There is no respect nor difference had among you whether they come to them by right or by wrong Be you so blind that you cannot see how justly you proceed to take the sword in your hand against your prince and to dispossesse just Inheritors without any cause Christ would not take upon him to judg the right and title of lands betwixt two brethren and you arrogantly presume not only to judg but unjustly to take away al mens right titles yea even from the King himself And do you not tremble for fear that the Vengeance of God shal fal upon you before you have grace to repent And yet you not contented with this your Rebellion would have your shameful act celebrated with a perpetual memory as it were to boast and glory of your iniquity For in memory of your fact you would have established in every country two places to pray for the King and the Common-wealth Wherby your abominable behaviour at this present may never be forgotten but be remembred unto the worlds end That when the Kings Majesty was in Wars with Scotland and France you under pretence of the Common wealth rebelled and made so great sedition against him within his own realm as never before was heard of And therfore you must be prayed for for ever in every County of this realm It were more fit for you to make humble Supplication upon your knees to the Kings Majesty desiring him not only to forgive you this fault but also that the same may never be put in Chronicle nor writing and that neither shew nor mention may remain to your posterity that ever subjects were so unkind to their Prince and so ungracious toward God that contrary to Gods word they should so use themselves against their Soveraign Lord and King And this I assure you of that if al the whole world should pray for you until Doomsday their prayers should no more avail you then they should avail the Devils in hel if they prayed for them unles you be so penitent and sory for your disobedience that you wil ever hereafter so long as you live study to redubbe and recompence the same with al true and faithful obedience and not only your selves but also procuring al other so much as lyeth in you And so much detesting such uproars and seditions that if you se any man towards any such things you wil to your power resist him and open him unto such Governors and Rulers as may straitway repres the same As for your last Article thanks be to God it needs not to be answered which is this Your last Article is this FOR the particular griefes of our Country we wil have them so ordered as Humfrey Arundel and Henry Bray the Kings Maior of Bodman shal inform the Kings Majesty if they may have salve Conduct in the Kings great Seal to pas und repas with an Herald of Armes Who ever heard such arrogancy in Subjects to require and wil of their Princes that their own particular causes may be ordered neither according to reason nor the lawes of the Realm but according to the Information of two most hainous Traitors Was it ever heard before this time that information should be a judgment altho the Informers were of never so great credit And wil you have suffice the information of two villanous Papistical Traitors You wil deprive the King of his lands pertaining to his Crown and other men of their just possessions and inheritances and judg your own causes as you list your selves And what can you be called then but most wicked judges and most errant Traitors Except only Ignorance or Force may excuse youâ— that either you were constrained by your Capitains against your wills or deceived by blind Priests and other crafty persuaders to ask you wist not what How much then ought you to detest and abhor such men hereafter and to beware of al such like as long as you live and to give most humble and hearty thanks unto God who hath made an end of this Article and brought Arundel and Bray to that they have deserved that is perpetual shame confusion and death Yet I beâ—seech God so to extend his grace unto them that they may dy wel which have lived il Amen NUM XLI The Archbishops notes for an Homily against the Rebellion Sentences of the Scripture against Sedition 1 Cor. 3. CUM sit inter vos zelus contentio nonne carnales estis sicut homines ambulatis Et 1 Cor. 6. Quare non magis injuriam accipitis Quare non magis fraudem patimini Iac. 3. Si zelum amarum habetis contentiones sint in cordibus vestris c. non est ista Sapientia desursum descendens a Patre Luminum sed terrena animalis Diabolica Ubi enim zelus contentio ibi inconstantia omne opus malum c. Et Cap. 4. Unde bella lites inter vos Nonne ex concupiscentijs vestris quae m ilitant in membris vestris How God hath plagued Sedition in time past Num. 18. Dathan and Abiram for ther sedition against Moses and Aaron did miserably perish by Gods just judgment the earth opening and swallowing them down quick 2 Reg. 15. 18. Absalom moving Sedition against David did miserably perish likewise 2 Reg. 20. Seba for his Sedition against David lost his head 3 Reg. 1. 2. Adonias also for his Sedition against Solomon was slain Acts 8. Iudas and Theudas for their Sedition were justly slain Acts 21. An Egyptian likewise which moved the people of Israel to Sedition received that he