my Lord was of Londons own hand For he that copied them out before us was a Gentleman of my L. Winchesters or to him belonging Mr. Londons Copy lying before him This appeareth that this matter was consulted before Serles can tel what the man was and so cannot I that did write them But as I now remember it was German that is German Gardner By me Iohn Willoughby Gardiners penitent letter unto the Archbishop GEntle father Whereas I have not born so good so tender a heart towards you as a true child ought to bear and as you never gave unto me occasion otherwise but rather by benefits provoked me unto the contrary I ask of you with as contrite a heart as ever did David ask of God mercy And I desire you to remember the prodigal Child Which although from his father swarving yet into favour received again to receive me although unkindly now by folly I did forsake you and not born my heart so lovingly so truly towards you as in dutifulness I should have done I am ful sorry for my fault And yet Good father be you wel assured as I opened my conscience unto you at my last communing with you that I never did bear malice against you But the greatest cause that ever occupied my heart against you and for the which I did bear my heart so little towards you was as God shall save the Soul of me that I saw so little quietness among us and so great jars in Christs religion Supposing that by your permission and sufferance which was not so as I do now perceive That it did arise unto the great grief of my conscience I condescended the sooner unto the making of the book against your Grace when I was thereunto moved by that same suggester Willoughby Where and of whom he took occasion to bring his bills unto Canterbury I know not Good father for my setting forth the same book partly by me made heartily confessing my rashness and indeliberate doings I ask of you mercy Requiring of you of your charity to impute the great fault of it unto those which ministred unto me occasion and to remit unto me my lightnes For of truth I was greatly seduced Remember Good father that our Parent was seduced and yet of God forgiven Forgive me Good father By whom I was seduced my Confession doth declare And Father if it shall please you now more of your goodness then of my deserving punishment and that sharp I have deserved to forgive unto me this my fault and unkindness You shal never hereafter perceive in me but that at al times I shal be as obedient and as true unto you as ever was child unto his natural father If otherwise at any time you find of me never trust me never do for me but utterly without al favor cast me into pain as possible is for a wretch to suffer Gentle Father ponder my grief which is at my heart not little And through your goodness remitting unto me my unkindness and granting mercy with liberty I desire your Grace to set me into ease both of heart and body I am yours aud shal be yours and that truly while I live God prosper your Grace per me William Gardiner Good father I have given my self unto you heart body and service and you have taken me unto you Now remember me that I am your true servant Another letter of Gardiner to the Archbishop MOst Honourable Prelate Due commendations premised These be to give thanks unto your Grace for that that you did yesterday so favourably as my sending for unto your presence Whom I thought that I should never pensiveness lay so sore at my heart have seen again And among al your Communications that your Grace had unto me I noted these words of highest comfort Your Grace did note that I did cal you father in my Writings you said unto me yesterday You cal me father In good faith I wil be a Father unto you indeed Words of high comfort unto me Besides this Most honorable Lord you promised that I should have a book of al Articles layd in against me to make answer unto them I beseech your Grace that I may so have For there is nothing that I have done or known to be done but if I can cal it into remembrance I wil truly open it God prosper your Grace By yours and ever shal be William Gardiner Shethers letter of Submission to the Archbishop MY duty always remembred unto your gracious Lordship I most humbly beseech the same to have compassion upon me your prisoner And for as much as I think by the Articles which Mr. Ioseph mentioned that your Grace hath not only the Articles subscribed with the Witnes hands but also other Articles Which I noted since that time as I heard by Mr. Gardiner Coxton Morice and others So that your Gracious Lordship knoweth al that ever I have heard Pleaseth it your Lordship to understand that many of those Articles last noted were of the Book that was presented to my L. of Winchester as unperfect and not proved as indeed many could never be justified as far as ever I heard And therefore my L. of Winchester sent it again as I have said in my first declaration And it was never willed to be shewed as true But Gracious Lord whether I have offended in that that I noted those Articles after that I was willed by Mr. Baker to mark the chiefest fautors of new opinions I refer it to your gracious judgment and whatsoever shal be thought as nothing can be hid nor I would should not of any my life from any of you both that I have offended in I beseech you both of your mercy and favor and to be good to me Instantly and briefly for I am loth to trouble you or to seem to mistrust your goodness desiring you to have in remembrance my weak nature and the long and solatory durance I have suffered with grievous vexation of mind And for refreshing thereof to Licence me to eat and drink at meals with company and being so nigh my chamber that I may remain in the same to the intent I may pas the time with my own Books Heartily desiring your Good Lp. that notwithstanding any thing heretofore done or how ever I have before wandred not conformably to your gracious advertisement or expectation yet Gracious Lord accept a poor heart which would gladly be received into your fatherly favor again to declare his faithful mind he hath conceived towards your Goodness upon such pity as your Gracious Lp. hath shewed and I trust now wil in his extreme need Assuring your Grace that my whole confidence and only trust is reposed in your goodness only and gentle Mr. Doctors Whose native merciful hearts as they have be declared oftentimes towards many so I most meekly beseech you both mercifully to interpretate my acts and declare your pity in releasing my sorrows as shortly as shal seem convenient to your Wisdomes
For whom I wil not cease to be a perpetual Orator to Almighty God I most heartily desire to know your Gracious pleasure in the premises and especially whether your Lordship hath the Book subscribed with the Witness hands or no. For although that in the Copy of my brothers book it appeareth who hath subscribed to other Articles of Mr. Drom and Mr. Scory and others which I do not remember Your Gracious prisoner Edmond Shether Milles letter of submission MOst Reverend Father in God My humble duty remembred unto your Grace And I know right wel in that I subscribed unto certain articles though unadvisedly have shewed great unkindness unto your Grace in so doing And again for that have deserved little kindness at your Graces hand and do now suffer cold imprisonment at your Graces pleasure Which is very tedious painful unto me and as I fear great danger might ensue unto me by augmenting that cold and cough that I have taken before and now increaseth Besides the inward pensiveness of heart taken for this my rash fact at other mens light motion as others of my company did Which now I think lamenteth them much yea so much that at such time as I have been in company with them I have heard them say that they could not sleep neither eat that thing or drink that did do them much good as I am one of them Wherefore most gracious Lord these premisses and others considered by the which sickness of body may not the heart wast this shal be to humbly beseech your Grace to mercifully intreat me and that now I may find some drop of mercy at your Graces hands for this my imprisonment Assuring your Grace that I shall take this punishment for my Learning and not at any time hereafter to be so lightly allured at any mans motion to put so unadvisedly my hand or consent to any such matter hereafter Now Gracious Lord shew pity and mercy unto me which I do ask of your Grace and do heartily desire it with weeping ey and sorrowful heart as knoweth God By your Iohn Myllys NUM XXXIV A letter prepared for the King to sign to ratify certain Ecclesiastical lawes HENRICUS octavus Dei gratia Angliae Franciae Rex Fidei Defensor Dorhinus Hiberniae ac in terris Anglicanis sub Deo Caput supremum Omnibus Archiepiscopis Episcopis Abbatibus Clericis Ducibus Marchionibus Comitibus Baronibus Militibus Generosis ac alijs cujuscunque generis hominibus subditis Legiis nostris per Regnum nostrum Dominia nostra ubilibet commorantibus Salutem Evangelicae Veritatis incrementum Cum VOS optimi cives mei mihique charissimi me nunc unum atque solum hujus Regni Principem in terrisque secundum Deum hujus Ecclesiae Anglicanae unicum supremúmque Caput quemadmodum divini atque humani juris ratio postulat potestatémque tam Ecclesiasticae quam Mundanae politiae mihi Majoribusque meis ipso jure divino concessam verum multis seculis unius Romani Episcopi malitia fraude dolis atque astutia ereptam ad Me Successores meos pertinere una voce uno omnium assensu agnoscitis non possum in dies magis magisque muneris atque officij mei rationem non habere deque illustranda Dei gloria de Christianae pietatis vera doctrina propaganda de imperij hujus incolumitate quiete tuenda summa animi cura atque cogitatione non esse solicitus Occurrant enim subinde animo meo verba illa quae Sapientiae Cap. septimo habentur ad hunc modum Audite Reges intelligite quoniam data est a Domino potestas Vobis Virtus ab Altissimo qui interrogabit opera vestra scrutabitur cogitationes Ad vos ergo Reges sunt hij Sermones mei ut discatis Sapientiam ne excidatis Qui enim custodit justitiam justè judicabuntur qui didicerunt justa invenient quid respondeant c. Hinc facile perspici potest exactissime a regibus potestatis suae reddendam esse rationem illosque gravissimas manere poenas si non ut oportuit in Rep. administranda sese gesserint Quod si tanta cura ac solicitudine quibuscunque regibus opus est quam anxios igitur ac solicitos Christianos reges esse debere censendum est quibus non politia modo Civilis sed Ecclesiastica etiam potestas data est Hos enim non tantum quae ad Humanam societatem pertinent sed etiam quae divinae Christianaeque religioni maximè consentanea sunt curare necesse est Praesentem hujus saeculi faelicitatem principes Christianos ita metiri convenit ut hac potestate sua ad Dei cultum dilatandum utantur in hoc incumbant ut recta doctrina propagetur orneturque Dei gloria Cum igitur a Christianis Regibus justitiam in Imperio pacis tuendae curam pietatem studium juvandae ornandae religionis Christianae exigi animadverterem nihil mihi potius esse debere judicabam quà m ut omnes inirem rationes quo minus in hoc meo regno haec a me desiderentur quo ad possem muneri imposito satisfacerem Hoc ut facilius expeditiusque praestare valeam non ignoratis vos quantam curam adhibuerim in illis rebus promovendis tuendisque quae huic negotio maximè conducere atque adjumento esse videbantur quae contra impedire atque obesse visa sunt quanto studio tollere ac delere conatus sâ—m assiduéque conor Abunde enim vobis declaratum hactenus fuit quam in hac nostra Britannia multis retro saeculis Episcopi Romani vis injusta ac non ferenda sacro sancto divino numini inimica fuit quantopere religioni Christianae verae doctrinae propagandae adversata est quantum hujus Reip. pacem ac tranquillitatem saepissimè interturbavit potestatémque Regiam divinitus constitutam labefactando debitam omnium obedientiam a vero ac justo Principis sui imperio contra oâ—ne jus divinum humanum ad se transferre ausus est Hujus potestatem huic cum divino munere sublatam esse manifestum est nequid superesset quo non planè fractam illius vim esse constaret leges omnes decreta atque instituta quae ab authore Episcopo Romano profecto sunt prorsus abroganda censuimus Quorum loco ut facilius imposterum Dei Opt. Max. gloria illustretur vera Philosophia Christiana regnumque Christi vigere possit quo omnia decenter ordine in Christi hac ecclesia gerantur en Vobis authoritate nostra editas leges damus quas a Vobis omnibus suscipi coli observari volumus sub nostrae indignationis poena mandamus ut vestra in Deum pietas amor erga patriam principemque Vestrum obedientia non sine immensa divini Nominis gloria omnibus conspicua sit ac vosmetipsos non minus de vestris rationibus solicitos
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
But when the Time of Harvest drew near there happened a great Plague of Rain So in August Letters were issued out from the King to the Arch-bishop that he should appoint certâ—in Prayers to be used for the ceasing of the Wet-weather and to write to the rest of the Province to do the like But hear the King's Letter MOST Reverend Father in God right Trusty and right intirely Beloved We greet you well And forasmuch as there hath been now a late and still continueth much Rain and other unseasonable Weather whereby is like to ensue great Hurt and Damage to the Corn and Fruits now ripe upon the Ground unless it shall please God of his infinite Goodness to stretch forth his holy Hand over us Considering by sundry Examples heretofore that God at the Contemplation of earnest and devout Prayers oftentimes extended his Mercy and Grace and hath also assuredly promised that whensoever we call upon him for Things meet for us he will grant unto us the same We having the Governance and Charge of his People committed unto Us have thought good to cause the same to be exhorted by You and other the Prelats of this our Realm with an earnest repentant Heart for their Iniquities to call unto God for Mercy and with devout and humble Prayer and Supplication every Person both by himself apart and also by Common-Prayer to beseech him to send unto us such seasonable and temperate Weather to have in those Fruits and Corn on the Ground which hitherto he hath caused so plenteously to grow For the which purpose we require you and nevertheless command you to send unto all your Brethren the Bishops within your Province to cause such general Rogations and Processions to be made incontinently within their Diocesses as in case like heretofore hath been accustomed in this behalf accordingly Yevon under our Signet at our Manor of the Moor the 20 th Day of August the XXXV Year of our Reign The Arch-bishop accordingly sent his Order dated August 23. 1543. to Edmond Bishop of London that there might be Prayers and Supplications in his Diocess every Fourth and Sixth Days of the Week And the like Order was dispatched to all the other Bishops in his Province By their Prayers as was accustomed to implore God's Mercy to avert his Wrath that the People had justly deserved And not to cease their Prayers and Suffrages till further Order from him It is not so evident that these Prayers were in the English Tongue But in the Year following viz. 1544. there were without Controversy certain Suffrages drawn up in our Mother-Tongue by the Arch-bishop's means which he intended to be universally observed every where Upon the Arch-bishop's pious Motions as it seems the King issued out his Letters to him dated in Iune for the publication of these Prayers in English to be from thenceforth continually used in the Church together with setting forth the King's Injunctions by Preaching and good Exhortation that the People who before did but slackly observe their Devotions for want of understanding the Divine Service might henceforth more frequently and more fervently resort to religious Worship I shall not here set down the King's Letter as I transcribed it out of Arch-bishop Cranmer's Register because Bishop Burnet hath printed it already in his first Volume among the Collections pag. 264. It runs in such a pious strain as tho none but the Arch-bishop had been the Suggestor thereof That since at that time Christendom was plagued with Wars Hatred and Dissensions and in no Place was Peace and Agreement and since it was out of the Power of Man to redress these Miseries God alone being able to restore Peace and unite Mens Hearts Therefore the King was resolved to have general Processions used in all Churches with all Reverence and Devotion of the People And because the not understanding the Prayers and Suffrages formerly used caused that the People came but slackly to the Processions therefore the King now had published certain Prayers in our Native Tongue Which he with his present Letter had sent to the Arch-bishop for the special Trust and Confidence he had of his Godly Mind and the earnest desire that was in him for the setting forth of God's Glory and the true worshipping of his Name And that these Prayers should not be observed for a Month or two as his other Injunctions had been but that they together with the Injunctions should be earnestly set forth by Preaching good Exhortation and otherwise in such sort as they might feel the Godly Taste thereof and godly and joyously with Thanks receive embrace and frequent the same Commanding the Arch-bishop that he should not only cause the same Suffrages to be used in his own Diocess but signify the King's Pleasure in this regard to all other Bishops of his Province And that he should have a special respect hereunto and make report if any did not with good dexterity accomplish the same It was given under the King's Signet at his Manor of S. Iames's Iune 11. in the 36 th of his Reign I have not met with these Suffrages which if I had I should have been enclined to publish them here and the rather because I believe they were of Cranmer's own composing According to this Letter the Arch-bishop dispersed his Letters to Edmund Bishop of London and the other Bishops with a Copy of the Suffrages to be used urging withal the observation of all the King's Injunctions heretofore promulgated for the confirming and establishing of Sacred Religion About August this Year the King was upon going himself in Person to invade France against which Nation he was now in Hostility and had prepared a mighty Army by Land and Sea for that purpose Now the Arch-bishop was again called upon by the Privy-Counsellors to appoint Processions in the English Tongue through the Realm for the King 's good Success in this great Expedition The Councils Letter ran in this Tenor. AFTER our right-hearty Commendations to your good Lordship These shall be to signify to the same That the King's Highness having so provided for the Safety of his Grace's Realm as the great Malice of his Enemies shall by the Grace of God take small effect For the repulsing of which his Highness hath in a readiness to set abroad at the furthest on Wednesday next such a puissant Navy as hath not been seen assembled in the remembrance of Man Considering nevertheless that all Victories and good Successes come only at the Direction and Appointment of God following herein that Trade of such a Christian Prince as he is hath devised to have Processions throughout the Realm in such sort as in like Cases hath heretofore laudably been accustomed Requiring your Lordship therefore to take Order incontinently that from henceforth through your Province the said Processions be kept continually upon the accustomed Days and none otherwise and sung or said as the number of the Quoire shall serve for the
I have presumed to marry one Amy German Widow and under pretence of that Matrimony contrary to the Canons and Custom of the Universal Church have kept her as my Wife and lived contrary to the Canons and Ordinances of the Church and to the evil Example of good Christen People Whereby now being ashamed of my former wicked living here I ask Almighty God Mercy and Forgiveness and the whole Church and am sorry and penitent even from the bottom of my Heart therefore And in token hereof I am here as you see to declare and shew unto you this my Repentance that before God on the latter Day you may testify with me of the same And I most heartily and humbly pray and desire you all whom by this evil Example doing I have greatly offended that for your part you will forgive me and remember me in your Prayers that God may give me Grace that hereafter I may live a continent Life according to his Laws and the godly Ordinances of our Mother the holy Catholick Church through and by his Grace And do here before you all openly promise for to do during my Life The manner of the Restitution of these Priests thus performing their Penance may be seen in the Appendix And this is some Account of the Church of Canterbury's Doings in pursuance of the Queen's Instructions before-mentioned But Bishop Boner with his Zeal was before-hand with the Queen not staying for any Orders from Above in dealing with his Clergy but of his own Power in the latter end of February deprived all married Priests in his Diocess in London from their Livings And after this done commanded them all to bring their Wives within a fortnight that they might be divorced from them These were some of the Doings with the Married Priests in London And in the same manner did they proceed about this time in Canterbury with Edmund Cranmer the Arch-bishop's Brother Arch-deacon and Prebendary of that Church together with William Willoughby William Devenish and Robert Goldson Prebendaries and divers others For March 15. At the Chapter-house in Canterbury before Henry Harvey LL. D. Vicar-general Richard Bishop of Dover Subdean Richard Parkhurst and Iohn Mills Prebendaries of the said Church personally appeared the said Arch-deacon and Prebendaries Thomas Brook and Tho. Stevens Preachers and Sherland and Goodrick Petty Canons of the said Church Who all subscribed with their own Hands to a Confession of certain Articles exhibited against them touching their being Married And being asked what they could say why they should not be suspended and deprived for the said pretended Marriages They gave this Answer as it is set down in the Register of that Church Se nihil habere dicendum c. That they had nothing to say that might be profitable for them the Ecclesiastical Law and the Decrees of the Holy Fathers standing in their full Force But by the Law of God they thought they had lawfully married their Wives and being married might not forsake them with a safe Conscience Then Sentence of Suspension from Priestly Function Sequestration Deprivation and Prohibition to live with their Wives was pronounced It is registred that they acquiesced in these Sentences against them no one of them appealing but all remaining silent This is the Account of the good Arch-bishop's Brother his manner of Deprivation and his peaceable Behaviour under it Thus he was deprived of his Prebend and one Robert Collins was admitted into the same Of his Rectory of Ickham and Robert Marsh succeeded him there April 12. 1554. and of his Arch-deaconry and Nicolas Harpsfield was admitted thereunto Who at the same time entred into Obligation to pay out of the Profits of the said Arch-deaconry unto William Warham late Arch-deacon during his Life a yearly Pension of forty Pounds Sterling March 31. 1554. But some of the Church then appeared not being either fled or in Prison and those were pronounced Contumacious viz. Iohn Ioseph Peter Alexander and Bernard Ochin Prebendaries Lancelot Ridley Richard Turner Thomas Becon and Richard Besely Preachers These Doings in all Quarters of the Realm raised great Admiration among the People upon divers and sundry Considerations incident and depending upon such Proceedings Since these Marriages were no more than what were agreeable to the Laws of the Land So that these married Preachers in Marrying themselves were no Transgressors of the Law and yet underwent as great Punishments as though they were so in some high Degree And the Proceedings seemed contrary even to the Queen's Commission comprized in certain Articles before-mentioned to her Bishops Which was That they should proceed according to Learning and Discretion in these weighty Matters and that they should not put any other Canons and Constitutions of the Church in exercise than such as might stand with the Law of the Realm Yet they went in most Places both against Learning and Discretion and the Laws of the Land For the bringing this to pass they first possest the Queen with great Prejudices against these Marriages They cried in her Ears how uncomely these Copulations were how against God and his Honour how against the Churches Decrees and Discipline and how worthy to be dissolved again And when they had obtained their Ends with the Queen and gotten out her Letter and Instructions for that purpose and by Warrant thereof executed their Purposes then for the giving a better Countenance to a thing that looked so odious and had so much Severity in it to the ruining of so many thousand Families Books were thought fit to be published the purpose of which was to make Married Priests contemptible and to shew how unlawful and wicked Marriage was in Men of Holy Orders Dr. Thomas Martin's Book made the greatest Noise a Book writ with a Brow of Brass so did it abound with confident Untruths and Falshoods And to the further accumulation of the heavy State of the Ministers deprived were added in this Book most slanderous Accusations and untrue Matters surmised against them to the Queen and Realm The Author greatly pretended Antiquity and Authority all along for his Doctrine Whereas indeed it was nothing but counterfeited Imitation of Authority and belying Antiquity And in short to give you the sense of one who wrote against the Book and did sufficiently expose it It was meer Subtilty without Substance Wit without Wisdom Zeal without Knowledg and Heat without Charity To give but one Instance of the unfair and false dealing of the Author he saith in his Book That the Hereticks affirmed that all Priests and Bishops must of necessity Marry whether they have the Gift of sole Life or no and that they were so beastly and ignorant that they should teach that the Fellowship and Company of a Woman in a Spiritual Man is a means to perfect Religion and that single Life was an hindrance to the same and that they should despise all manner of Virginity and single Life in them
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
peccati Et Lex iram operatur And maketh us sorry and repentant that ever we should come into the displeasure of God and the captivity of the Devil The gracious and benign promises of God by the mediation of Christ showeth us and that to our great relief and comfort whensoever we be repentant and return fully to God in our hearts that we have forgiveness of our sins be reconciled to God and be accepted and reputed just and righteous in his sight only by his grace and mercy which he doth grant and give unto us for his dearly beloved Sons sake Jesus Christ who payd a sufficient ransome for our sins whose bloud doth wash away the same whose bitter and grievous passion is the only pacifying oblation that putteth away from us the wrath of God his Father Whose sanctified body offered on the Cross is the only Sacrifice of sweet and pleasant Savour as S. Paul saith that is to say of such sweetnes and pleasantnes to the Father that for the same he accepteth and reputeth of like sweetnes al them that the same offering doth serve for These benefits of God with innumerable others whosoever extendeth and wel pondereth in his heart and therby conceiveth a firm trust and feeling of Gods mercy wherof springeth in his heart a warm love fervent heat of zeal towards God It is not possible but that he shal fal to work and be ready to the performance of al such works as he knoweth to be acceptable unto God And these works only which follow Justification do please God forasmuch as they procede from a heart endued with pure faith and love to God But the works which we do before our Justification be not allowed and accepted before God although they appear never so great and glorious in the sight of men For after our Justification only begin we to work as the law of God requireth then we shal do al good works willingly although not so exactly as the Law requireth by means of the infirmity of the flesh nevertheles by the merits and benefits of Christ we being sorry that we cannot do al things no more exquisitely and duely al our Works shal be accepted and taken of God as most exquisite pure and perfect Now they that think they may come to Justification by performance of the Law by their own deeds and merits or by any other means than is above rehearsed they go from Christ they renounce his grace Evacuati estis a Christo saith S. Paul Gal. 5. Quicunque in lege justificamini a gratia excidistis They be not partakers of his justice that he hath procured or the merciful benefits that be given by him For S. Paul saith a general rule for al them that will seek such by-paths to obtain Justification Those saith he that wil not knowledg the justice or righteousnes which cometh by God but go about to avaunce their own righteousnes shal never come to that righteousnes which we have by God which is the righteousnes of Christ. By whom only al the Saints in Heaven and al others that have been saved have been reputed righteous and justified So that to Christ our only Savior and Redeemer of whose Righteousnes both their and our Justification doth depend is to be transcribed al the glory therof III. FORGIVENES of Injuries THese two may stand both wel together that we as private persons may forgive al such as have trespassed against us with al our heart and yet that the public ministers of God may se a redres of the same trespasses that we have forgiven For my forgivenes concerns only mine own person but I cannot forgive the punishment and correction that by Gods ordinance is to be ministred by the superior power For in so much as the same trespas which I do forgive may be the maintenance of vice not only of the offendor but also of others taking evil example therby it lyes not in me to forgive the same For so should I enterprize in the office of another which by the ordinance of God be deputed to the same Yea and that such justice may be ministred to the abolishment of vice and sin I may yea and rather as the cause shal require I am bound to make relation to the superior powers of the enormities and trespasses done to me and others and being sorry that I should have cause so to do seek the reformation of such evil doers not as desirous of vengeance but of the amendment of their Lives And yet I may not the more cruelly persecute the matter because the offence is peradventure done towards me but I am to handle it as if it were done to any other only for the use of the extirpation of sin the maintenance of justice and quietnes Which may right wel stand with the ferventnes of charity as the Scripture testifieth Non oderis fratrem tuum in corde tuo sed publicè argue eum ne habeas super illo peccatum Levit 19. So that this may stand with charity and also the forgiveness that Christ requireth of every one of us And yet in this doing I must forgive him with al my heart as much as lyes in mee I must be sorry that sin should have so much rule in him I must pray to God to give him repentance for his misdeeds I must desire God that for Christs sake he wil not impute the sin unto him being truly repentant and so to strengthen him in grace that he fal not again so dangerously I think I were no true christen man if I should not thus do And what other thing is this than as much as lyeth in me with al my heart to remit the trespas But I may by the Lawes require al that is due unto me by right And as for the punishment and correction it is not in my power to enterprize therin but that only belongeth to the superior powers to whom if the grievousnes of the cause shal require by the Commandment which willeth us to take away the evil from among us we ought to shew the offences and complain therof For he would not that we should take away the evil but after a just and lawful means which is only by the ordinance of God to shew the same to the Superior Powers that they may take an order in it according to Gods judgment and justice NUM XXXII Other Discourses of Archbishop Cranmer I. De Consolatione Christianorum contra metum mortis Ex Doctoribus Ecclesiasticis IF death of the body were to be feared then theym which have power to kil the body should we fear lest they do their exercise over us as they may at their pleasure But our Saviour forbids us to fear them because when they have killed the body then they can do no more to us Wherfore it is plain that our Savior would not that we should fear death To dy saith S. Iohn Chrysostom is to put off our old garments and death is a pilgrimage of the