the Holy Orders of Bishop Priest or Deacon the other that the Act should only be in force till the next Parliament With these Proviso's it was unanimously assented to by the Lords on the 26 Ian. 1513. and being agreed to by the Commons the Royal Assent made it a Law Pursuant to which many Murderers and Felons were denyed their Clergy and the Law passed on them to the great Satisfaction of the whole Nation But this gave great offence to the Clergy who had no mind to suffer their Immunities to be touched or lessened And judging that if the laity made bold with Inferiour Orders they would proceed further even against Sacred Orders therefore as their Opposition was such that the Act not being continued did determine at the next Parliament that was in the 5th year of the King so they not satisfied with that resolved to fix a censure on that Act as contrary to the Franchises of the Holy Church And the Abbot of Winchelcomb being more forward than the rest during the session of Parliament in the 7 year of this King's Reign in a Sermon at Pauls Cross said openly That that Act was contrary to the Law of God and to the Liberties of the Holy Church and that all who assented to it as well Spiritual as Temporal Persons had by so doing incur'd the Censures of the Church And for Confirmation of his Opinion he published a Book to prove That all Clerks whether of the greater or lower Orders were Sacred and exempted from all Temporal Punishment by the Secular Judge even in Criminal cases This made great noise and all the Temporal Lords with the concurrence of the House of Commons desired the King to suppress the growing Insolence of the Clergy So there was a hearing of the Matter before the King with all the Judges and the Kings Temporal Council Doctor Standish Guardian of the Mendicant Friers in London afterwards Bishop of Saint Asaph the chief of the Kings Spiritual Council argued That by the Law Clerks had been still convened and judged in the Kings Court for Civil Crimes and that there was nothing either in the Laws of God or the Church inconsistent with it and that the publick good of the Society which was chiefly driven at by all Laws and ought to be preferred to all other things required that Crimes should be punished But the Abbot of Winchelcomb being Counsel for the Clergy excepted to this and said There was a Decree made by the Church expresly to the contrary to which all ought to pay Obedience under the pain of Mortal sin and that therefore the trying of Clerks in the Civil Courts was a sin in it self Standish upon this turned to the King and said God forbid that all the Decrees of the Church should bind It seems the Bishops think not so for though there is a Decree that they should reside at their Cathedrals all the Festivals of the year yet the greater part of them do it not Adding That no Decree could have any force in England till it was received there and That this Decree was never received in England but that as well since the making of it as before Clerks had been tryed for Crimes in the Civil Courts To this the Abbot made no answer but brought a place of Scripture to prove this Exemption to have come from our Saviours words Nolite tangere Christos meos Touch not mine Anointed and therefore Princes ordering Clerks to be arrested and brought before their Courts was contrary to Scripture against which no custome can take place Standish replyed these words were never said by our Saviour but were put by David in his Psalter 1000 years before Christ and he said these words had no relation to the Civil Judicatories but because the greatest part of the World was then wicked and but a small number believed the Law they were a Charge to the Rest of the World not to do them harm But though the Abbot had been very violent and confident of his being able to confound all that held the contrary opinion yet he made no answer to this The Laity that were present being confirmed in their former opinion by hearing the Matter thus argued moved the Bishops to order the Abbot to renounce his former opinion and recant his Sermon at Pauls Cross. But they flatly refused to do it and said they were bound by the Laws of the Holy Church to maintain the Abbots opinion in every point of it Great heats followed upon this during the sitting of the Parliament of which there is a very partial Entry made in the Journal of the Lords House and no wonder the Clerk of the Parliament Doctor Tylor Doctor of the Canon-Law being at the same time Speaker of the Lower House of Convocation The Entrie is in these words In this Parliament and Convocation there were most dangerous contentions between the Clergy and the Secular Power about the Ecclesiastical liberties one Standish a Minor Frier being the Instrument and Promoter of all that mischief But a passage â—ell out that made this matter be more fully prosecuted in the Michaelmas-Term One Richard Hunne a Merchant-Taylor in London was questioned by a Clerk in Middlesex for a Mortuary pretended to be due for a Child of his that died 5 weeks old The Clerk claiming the beering sheet and Hunne refusing to give it upon that he was sued but his Counsel advised him to sue the Clerk in a Premunire for bringing the Kings Subjects before a forreign Court the Spiritual Court sitting by Authority from the Legate This touched the Clergy so in the quick that they used all the Arts they could to fasten Heresie on him and understanding that he had Wickliff's Bible upon that he was attached of Heresie and put in the Lollards Tower at Pauls and examined upon some Articles objected to him by Fitz-Iames then Bishop of London He denied them as they were chargeâ— against him but acknowledged he had said some words sounding that way for which he was sorry and asked Gods mercy and submitted himself to the Bishops Correction upon which he ought to have been enjoyned Penance and set at Liberty but he persisting still in his Sute in the Kings Courts they used him most cruelly On the Fourth of December he was found hanged in the Chamber where he was kept Prisoner And Doctor Horsey Chancellour to the â—iâ—hop of London with the other Officers who had the Charge of the Prison gave it out that he had hang'd himself But the Coroner of London coming to hold an Inquest on the dead body they found him hanging so loose and in a silk girdle that they clearly perceived he was killed they also found his Neck had been broken as they judged with an Iron chain for the Skin was all fretted and cut they saw some streams of blood about his body besides several other evidences which made it clear he had not murdered himself whereupon they did acquit the dead body and
the Proceedings in the Kings Bench since there was no justice done and all thought the King seemed more careful to maintain his Prerogative than to do Justice This I have related the more fully because it seems to have had great Influence on peoples minds and to have disposed them much to the Changes that followed afterwards How these things were entred in the Books of Convocation cannot be now known For among the other sad losses sustained in the late burning of London this was one that almost all the Registers of the Spiritual Courts were burnt some few of the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury and Bishops of London's Registers being only preserved But having compared Fox his Account of this and some other matters and finding it exactly according to the Registers that are preserved I shall the more confidently build on what he published from those Records that are now lost This was the only thing in the first 18 years of the Kings Reign that seemed to lessen the Greatness of the Clergy but in all other matters he was a most faithful Son of the See of Rome Pope Iulius soon after his coming to the Crown sent him a Golden Rose with a Letter to Arch-Bishop Warham to deliver it and though such Presents might seem fitter for young Children than for men of discretion yet the King was much delighted with it and to shew his Gratitude there was a Treaty concluded the year following between the King and Ferdinand of Arragon for the Defence of the Papacy against the French King And when in opposition to the Council that the French King and some other Princes and Cardinals had called first to Pisa which was afterwards translated to Milan and then to Lions that summoned the Pope to appear before them and suspended his Authority Pope Iulius called another Council to be held in the Lateran the King sent the Bishops of Worcester and Rochester the Prior of St. Iohns and the Abbot of Winchelcomb to sit in that Council in which there was such a Representative of the Catholick Church as had been for several of the latter Ages in the Western Church in which a few Bishops packt out of several Kingdoms and many Italian Bishops with a vast number of Abbots Priors and other Inferiour Digniâ—â—ed Clergy-men were brought to Confirm together whatever the Popes had a mind to Enact which passing easily among them was sent over the world with a stamp of Sacred Authority as the Decrees and Decisions of the Holy Universal Church assembled in a General Council Nor was there a worse understanding between this King and Pope Leo the 10 th that succeeded Iulius who did also complement him with those Papal Presents of Roses and at his desire made Wolsey a Cardinal and above all other things obliged him by conferring on him the Title of Defender of the Faith upon the presenting to the Pope his Book against Luther in a pompous Letter Signed by the Pope and 27 Cardinals in which the King took great pleasure affecting it always beyond all his other Titles though several of the former Kings of England had carried the same Title as Spelman informs us So easie a thing it was for Popes to oblige Princes in those days when a Title or a Rose was thought a sufficient Recompence for the greatest Services The Cardinal Governing all Temporal Affairs as he did it is not to be doubted but his Authority was absolute in Ecclesiastical Matters which seemed naturally to lie within his Province yet Warham made some opposition to him and complained to the King of his encroaching too much in his Legantine Courts upon his Jurisdiction and the things being clearly made out the King chid the Cardinal sharply for it who ever after that hated Warham in his heart yet he proceeded more warily for the future But the Cardinal drew the hatred of the Clergy upon himself chiefly by a Bull which he obtained from Rome giving him Authority to visit all Monasteries and all the Clergy of England and to dispence with all the Laws of the Church for one whole year after the date of the Bull. The power that was lodged in him by this Bull was not more invidious than the words in which it was conceived were offensive for the Preamble of it was full of severe Reflections against the Manners and Ignorance of the Clergy who are said in it to have been delivered over to a Reprobate mind This as it was a publick Deâ—aming them so how true soever it might be all thought it did not become the Cardinal whose Vices were notorious and scandalous to tax others whose faults were neither so great nor so eminent as his were He did also affect a Magnificence and Greatness not only in his Habit being the first Clergy-man in England that wore Silks but in his Family his Train and other pieces of State equal to that of Kings And even in performing Divine Offices and saying Mass he did it with the same Ceremonies that the Popes use who judg themselves so nearly related to God that those humble acts of Adoration which are Devotions in other persons would abase them too much He had not only Bishops and Abbots to serve him but even Dukes and Earls to give him the Water and the Towel He had certainly a vast mind and he saw the corruptions of the Clergy gave so great Scandal and their Ignorance was so profound that unless some effectual ways were taken for correcting these they must needs fall into great disesteem with the People For though he took great liberties himself and perhaps according to the Maxime of the Canonists he judged Cardinals as Princes of the Church were not comprehended within ordinary Ecclesiastical Laws yet he seemed to have designed the Reformation of the Inferiour Clergy by all the means he could think of except the giving them a good Example Therefore he intended to visit all the Monasteries of England that so discovering their corruptions he might the better justifie the design he had to suppress most of them and convert them into Bishopricks Cathedrals Collegiate Churches and Colledges For which end he procured the Bull from Rome but he was diverted from making any use of it by some who advised him rather to suppress Monasteries by the Popes Authority than proceed in a Method which would raise great hatred against himself cast foul aspersions on Religious Orders and give the Enemies of the Church great advantages against it Yet he had communicated his design to the King and his Secretary Cromwell understanding it was thereby instructed how to proceed afterwards when they went about the total suppression of the Monasteries The Summoning of Convocations he assumed by vertue of his Legantine Power Of these there were two sorts the first were called by the King for with the Writs for a Parliament there went out always a Summons to the Two Arch-Bishops for calling a Convocation of
And the corruptions of their Worship and Doctrine were such that a very small proportion of common sense with but an overly looking on the New Testament discovered them Nor had they any other varnish to colour them by but the Authority and Traditions of the Church But when some studious men began to read the Ancient Fathers and Councils though there was then a great mixture of Sophisticated stuff that went under the Ancient names and was joyned to their true works which Criticks have since discovered to be spurious they found a vast difference between the first Five Ages of the Christian Church in which Piety and Learning prevailed and the last Ten Ages in which Ignorance had buried all their former Learning only a little misguided Devotion was retained for Six of these Ages and in the last Four the restless Ambition and Usurpation of the Popes was supported by the seeming holiness of the begging Friers and the false Counterfeits of Learning which were among the Canonists School-men and Casuists So that it was incredible to see how men notwithstanding all the opposition the Princes every-where made to the progress of these reputed new Opinions and the great advantages by which the Church of Rome both held and drew many into their Interests were generally inclined to these Doctrines Those of the Clergy who at first Preached them were of the begging Orders of Friers who having fewer engagements on them from their Interests were freer to discover and follow the truth And the austere Discipline they had been trained under did prepare them to encounter those difficulties that lay in their way And the Laity that had long lookt on their Pastors with an evil eye did receive these Opinions very easily which did both discover the Impostures with which the world had been abused and shewed a plain and simple way to the Kingdom of Heaven by putting the Scriptures into their hands and such other Instructions about Religion as were sincere and genuine The Clergy who at first despised these new Preachers were at length much Allarmed when they saw all people running after them and râ—ceiving their Doctrines As these things did spread much in Germany Switzerland and the Netherlands so their Books came over into England where there was much matter already prepared to be wrought on not only by the prejudices they had conceived against the corrupt Clergy but by the Opinions of the Lollards which had been now in England since the days of Wickliff for about 150 years Between which Opinions and the Doctrines of the Reformers there was great Affinity and therefore to give the better vent to the Books that came out of Germany many of them were translated into the English-Tongue and were very much read and applauded This quickned the proceedings against the Lollards and the enquiry became so severe that great numbers were brought into the Toils of the Bishops and their Commissaries If a man had spoken but a light word against any of the Constitutions of the Church he was seized on by the Bishop's Officers and if any taught their Children the Lord's Prayer the Ten Commandments and the Apostle's Creed in the Vulgar Tongue that was crime enough to bring them to the Stake As it did Six men and a woman at Coventry in the Passion-week 1519. being the 4 th of April Longland Bishop of Lincoln was very cruel to all that were suspected of Heresie in his Diocess several of them abjured and some were Burnt But all that did not produce what they designed by it The Clergy did not correct their own faults and their cruelty was looked on as an evidence of Guilt and of a weak Cause so that the method they took wrought only on peoples fears and made them more cautious and reserved but did not at all remove the Cause nor work either on their reasons or affections Upon all this the King to get himself a name and to have a lasting Interest with the Clergy thought it not enough to assist them with his Authority but would needs turn their Champion and write against Luther in defence of the Seven Sacraments This Book was magnified by the Clergy as the most Learned Work that ever the Sun saw and he was compared to King Solomon and to all the Christian Emperours that had ever been And it was the chief subject of flattery for many years besides the glorious Title of Defender of the Faith which the Pope bestowed on him for it And it must be acknowledged that considering the Age and that it was the Work of a King it did deserve some Commendation But Luther was not at all daunted at it but rather valued himself upon it that so great a King had entred the lists with him and answered his Book And he replied not without a large mixture of Acrimony for which he was generally blamed as forgetting that great respect that is due to the Persons of Soveraign Princes But all would not do These Opinions still gained more footing and William Tindal made a Translation of the New Testament in English to which he added some short Glosses This was printed in Antwerp and sent over into England in the year 1526. Against which there was a Prohibition published by every Bishop in his Diocess Bearing that some of Luthers followers had erroneously Translated the New Testament and had corrupted the Word of God both by a false Translation and by Heretical Glosses Therefore they required all Incumbents to charge all within their Parishes that had any of these to bring them in to the Vicar-General within 30 days after that premonition under the pains of Excommunication and incurring the suspition of Heresie There were also many other Books Prohibited at that time most of them written by Tindal And Sir Thomas More who was a man celebrated for Vertue and Learning undertook the answering of some of those but before he went about it he would needs have the Bishops Licence for keeping and reading them He wrote according to the way of the Age with much bitterness and though he had been no Friend to the Monks and a great declaimer against the Ignorance of the Clergy and had been ill used by the Cardinal yet he was one of the bitterest Enemies of the new Preachers not without great cruelty when he came into Power though he was otherwise a very good-natured man So violently did the Roman Clergy hurry all their Friends into those excesses of Fire and Sword When the Party became so considerable that it was known there were Societies of them not only in London but in both the Universities then the Cardinal was constrained to act His contempt of the Clergy was looked on as that which gave encouragement to the Hereticks When reports were brought to Court of a company that were in Cambridge Bilney Latimer and others that read and propagated Luther's Book and Opinions some Bishops moved in the year 1523. that there might be a Visitation appointed
for his Printing the Bible and who was by that means very familiar with Bonner meeting him said he was very sorry for the news he heard of Cromwels being sent to the Tower Bonner answered it had been good he had been dispatcht long ago So the other shrunk away perceiving the change that was in him And some days after that Grafton being brought before the Council for some Verses which he was believed to have Printed in commendation of Cromwel Bonner informed the Council of what Grafton had said to him upon Cromwels being Arrested to make the other Charge seem the more probable Yet Audley the Chancelor was Graftons friend and brought him off But Bonner gave the City of London quickly cause to apprehend the utmost severities from him For many were endicted by his procurement Yet the King was loth to give too many Instances of Cruelty in this declination of his Age and therefore by an order from the Star-Chamber they were discharged But upon what motives I cannot fancie he pickt out an Instance which if the deeper stains of his following life had not dasht all particular spots had been sufficient to have blemished him for ever There was one Richard Mekins a Boy not above fifteen years of Age and both Illiterate and very Ignorant who had said somewhat against the corporal presence of Christs Body in the Sacrament and in Commendation of Doctor Barnes Upon this he was Endicted The words were proved by two witnesses and a day was appointed for the Juries to bring in their verdict The day being come the Grand Jury was called for then the Fore-man said they had found nothing This put Bonner in a fury and he charged them with Perjury But they said they could find nothing for the witnesses did not agree The one deposed That he had said the Sacrament was nothing but a Ceremony and the other That it was nothing but a Signification But Bonner still persisted and told them that he had said That Barnes dyed Holy But they could not find these words to be against the Statute Upon which Bonner cursed and was in a great rage and caused them to go aside again So they being overawed returned and found the Indictment Then sate the Jury vpon life and death who found him Guilty and he was adjudged to be burnt But when he was brought to the Stake he was taught to speak much good of Bonner and to condemn all Hereticks and Barnes in particular saying he had learned Heresie of him Thus the Boy was made to die with a lie in his mouth For Barnes held not that opinion of the Sacrament's being only a Ceremony or signification but was a zealous Lutheran which appeared very signally on many occasions chiefly in Lamberts case Three others were also burned at Salisbury upon the same Statute one of whom was a Priest Two also were burned at Lincoln in one day Besides a great number of persons were brought in trouble and kept long in Prison upon the Statute of the six Articles But more blood I find not spilt at this time In the end of this year were the new Bishopricks founded For in December was the Abbey of Westminster converted into a Bishops See and a Deanry and twelve Prebends with the Officers for a Cathedral and a Quire And in the year following on the 4th of August the King erected out of the Monastery of St. Werburg at Chester a Bishoprick a Deanry and six Prebends In September out of the Monastery at St. Peters at Glocester the King endowed a Bishoprick a Deanry and six Prebendaries And in the same Month the Abbey of Peterborough was converted to a Bishops seat a Deanry and six Prebendaries And to lay this whole matter together two years after this the Abbey of Osney in Oxford was converted into a Bishoprick a Deanry and six Prebends And the Monastery of St. Austins in Bristol was changed into the same use There are many other Grants also in the Rolls both to the Bishops and Deans and Chapters of these Sees But these Foundations will be better understood by their Charters of which since the Bishoprick of Westminster is least known because long ago suppressed I have chosen to set down the Charter of that See which the Reader will find in the Collection And they running all in the same style one may serve for the rest The Substance of the Preamble is That the King being moved by the Grace of God and intending nothing more than that true Religion and the sincere worship of God should not be abolished but rather restored to the Primitive sincerity and reformed from these abuses with which the profession and the lives of the Monks had so long and so lamentably corrupted Religion had as far as humane Infirmity could foresee designed that the word of God might be sincerely Preached the Sacraments purely administred good Order kept up the Youth well Instructed and old people relieved with other publick Almsdeeds And therefore the King Erected and Endowed these Sees The day after these several Grants there followed a Writ to the Arch-Bishop containing that the King had appointed such a person to be Bishop of that See Requiring him to Consecrate and Ordain him in due form Then the Priories at most Cathedrals such as Canterbury Winchester Duresm Worcester Carliste Rochester and Ely were also converted into Deanries and Colledges of Prebends with many other Officers and an allowance of Charity to be yearly distributed to the poor But as all this came far short of what the King had once intended so Cranmers Design was quite disappointed For he had projected that in every Cathedral there should be provision made for Readers of Divinity and of Greek and Hebrew and a great number of Students to be both exercised in the daily worship of God and trained up in Study and Devotion whom the Bishop might transplant out of this Nursery into all the parts of his Diocess And thus every Bishop should have had a Colledge of Clergy-men under his eye to be preferred according to their merit he saw great disorders among some Prebendaries and in a long Letter the Original of which I have seen he expressed his regret that â—hese Endowments went in such a Channel Yet now his Power was not great at Court and the other party run down all his motions But these who observed things narrowly judged that a good mixture of Prebendaries and of young Clerks bred up about Cathedrals under the Bishops eye and the Conduct and Direction of the Dean and Prebendaries had been one of the greatest Blessings that could have befallen the Church Which not being sufficiently provided of Houses for the Forming of the minds and manners of those who are to be received into Orders has since felt the ill effects of it very sensibly Against this Cranmer had projected a Noble Remedy had not the Popish party then at Court who very well apprehended the advantages such Nurseries would
Hospital and he order'd the Church of the Franciscans a little within Newgate to be opened which he gave to the Hospital This was done the 3d of Ianuary Another was of Trinity Colledg in Cambridg one of the Noblest Foundations in Christendom He continued in a decay till the 27 of the moneth and then many signs of his approaching end appearing few would adventure on so unwelcom a thing as to put him in mind of his change then imminent but Sir Anthony Denny had the honesty and courage to do it and desired him to prepare for death and remember his former life and to call on God for mercy through Jesus Christ. Upon which the King expressed his grief for the Sins of his past Life yet he said he trusted in the mercies of Christ which were greater than they were Then Denny asked him if any Churchman should be sent for and he said if any it should be Arch-Bishop Cranmer and after he had rested a little finding his Spirits decay apace he ordered him to be sent for to Croydon where he was then But before he could come the King was Speechless So Cranmer desired him to give some sign of his dying in the Faith of Christ upon which he squeezed his hand and soon after died after he had Reigned 37 years and 9 months in the six and fiftieth year of his age His death was kept up three dayes for the Journals of the House of Lords shew that they continued reading Bills and going on in business till the 31st and no sooner did the Lord Chancellor signify to them that the King was dead and that the Parliament was thereby dissolved It is certain the Parliament had no being after the Kings breath was out so their sitting till the 31st shews that the Kings death was not generally known all those three dayes The reasons of concealing it so long might either be that they were considering what to do with the Duke of Norfolk or that the Seymours were laying their matters so as to be secure in the Government before they published the Kings Death I shall not adventure on adding any further Character of him to that which is done with so much Wit and Judgment by the Lord Hâ—rbert but shall refer the Reader wholly to him only adding an account of the blackest part of it the Attaindors that passed the last 13 years of his life which are comprehended within this Book of which I have cast over the Relation to the Conclusion of it In the latter part of his Reign there were many things that seem great severities especially as they are represented by the Writers of the Roman party whose relations are not a little strengthned by the faint excuses and the mistaken accounts that most of the Protestant Historians have made The King was naturally impetuous and could not bear provocation the times were very ticklish his Subjects were generally addicted to the old Superstition especially in the Northern parts the Monks and Friers were both numerous and wealthy the Pope was his implacable Enemy the Emperor was a formidable Prince and being then Master of all the Netherlands had many advantages for the War he designed against Enâ—land Cardinal Pole his kinsman was going over all the Courts of Christendom to perswade a League against England as being a thing of greater necessity and merit than a War against the Turk This being without the least aggravation the state of affairs at that time it must be confessed he was sore put to it A Superstition that was so blind and headstrong and Enemies that were both so powerful so spiteful and so industrious made rigour necessary nor is any General of an Army more concerned to deal severely with Spies and Intelligencers than he was to proceed against all the Popes adherents or such as kept correspondence with Pole He had observed in History that upon much less provocation than himself had given not only several Emperors and forreign Princes had been dispossessed of their Dominions but two of his own Ancestors Henry the 2d and King Iohn had been driven to great extremities and forced to unusual and most indecent submissions by the means of the Popes and their Clergy The Popes power over the Clergy was so absolute and their dependence and obedience to him was so implicite and the Popish Clergy had so great an interest in the superstitious multitude whose consciences they governed that nothing but a stronger passion could either tame the Clergy or quiet the People If there had been the least hope of impunity the last part of his Reign would have been one continued Rebellion therefore to prevent a more profuse effusion of blood it seemed necessary to execute Laws severely in some particular instances There is one calumny that runs in a thread through all the Historians of the Popish side which not a few of our own have ignorantly taken up That many were put to death for not swearing the Kings Supremacy It is an impudent falshood for not so much as one person suffered on that account nor was there any Law for any such Oath before the Parliament in the 28th year of the Kings Reign when the unsufferable Bull of Pope Paul the 3d engaged him to look a little more to his own safety Then indeed in the Oath for maintaining the successiono f the Crown the Subjects were required under the pains of Treason to swear that the King was supream head of the Church of England but that was not mentioned in the former Oath that was made in the 25th and enacted in the 26 year of his Reign It cannot but be confessed that to enact under pain of death that none should deny the Kings Titles and to proceed upon that against offenders is a very different thing from forcing them to swear the King to be the Supream Head of the Church The first instance of these Capital proceedings was in Easter-Term in the beginning of the 27th year of his reign Three Priors and a Monk of the Carthusian Order were then endited of Treason for saying that the King was not Supream head under Christ of the Church of England These were Iohn Houghton Prior of the Charter-house near London Augustin Webster Prior of Axholme Robert Laurence Prior of Bâ—vâ—ll and Richard Reynolds a Monk of Sion this last was esteemed a learned man for that time and that Order They were tried in Westminster-Hall by a Commission of Oyer and Terminer they pleaded not guilty but the Jury found them guilty and judgment was given that they should suffer as Traitors The Record mentions no other particulars but the writers of the Popish side make a splendid recital of the courage and constancy they expressed both in their Tryal and at their Death It was no difficult thing for men so used to the Legend and the making of fine stories for the Saints and Martyrs of their Orders to dress up such Narratives with much pomp But as their pleading Not
his Book if I had considered them all I have therefore only singled out these Passages which I had in the former History demonstrated to be false and these are both so many and so important that I am sure enough is said to destroy the credit of that Author and of his Book which has too long deceived the the World And what is performed in this first part will I hope dispossess the Reader of any ill Impressions the following parts of that Work have made on him concerning the succeeding Reigns of which an account shall be given as soon as it possibly can be made ready I shall esteem my time to have been well imployed and my pains rightly placed if my endeavours have so good an effect as to take off the unjust Prejudices which some may have conceived at the changes that were then made in Religion or at the beginnings of them which being represented by this Author and upon his testimony by many other Writers in such odious Characters to the World are generally so ill looked on The Work it self was so good done upon so much reason managed with such care directed by such wisdom and tempered with so great moderation that those who intended to blast it did very wisely to load it with some such Prejudices for if without these the thing it self be examined by Men of a candid temper and solid judgment the Opposers of it know well where the Truth lies and on whose side both the Scriptures and the best Ages of the Primitive Church have declarâ—d But it was not fit to put a Question of such importance on so doubtful and so dangerous an issue therefore it was well considered by them that some popular and easily understood Calumnies to disgrace the beginnings of it and the Persons that were most imployed in it were to be fastned on them and if these could be once generally received then Men might be alienated from it by a shorter way than could be done by the dull and unsuccessful methods of Reason Therefore as the Cause of our Church hath been often vindicated by the learned Books that have been published in it and never with more success and a clearer victory than of late in the elaborate Writings which are never to be mentioned but with honour of the renowned Dr. Stillingfleet so I judged it might not be an unuseful and unacceptable Work which tho it be of a lower form and so most suitable to my genius yet will be of general use to employ the leisure I enjoy and the small Talent committed to me in examining and opening the Transactions of those Times And if these who read it are dispossessed of their prejudices and inclined to consider things as they are now set before them in a truer light I have gained my end in it The Truths of Religion need no support from the Father of Lyes A Religion made up of Falshoods and Impostures must be maintained by means suitable to it self So Sanders's Book might well serve the ends of that Church which has all along raised its greatness by publick Cheats and Forgeries such as the Donation of Constantine and the Book of the Decretals Besides the vast number of Miracles and Visions that were for many Ages made use of by them of which even the most disingenuous of their own Writers begin to be now ashamed But the Reformation of Religion was a Work of Light and needs none of the Arts of Darkness to justify it by A full and distinct Narrative of what was then done will be its Apology as well as its History There is no need of Artifice but only of Industry and sincerity to gather together all the remains of that Time and put them in good order I am now beginning to look towards the next and indeed the best part of this Work Where in the first Reign we shall observe the active endeavours of those Restorers of Religion The next Reign affords a sadder prospect of that Work laid in Ruins and the Authors of it in Ashes but the Fires that consumed them did rather spread than extinguish that Light which they had kindled And what is fabled of the Phoenix will be found true of our Church That she rose new out of these Ashes into which she seemed consumed Towards the perfecting this History I hope all that love the Subject of it will contribute their Endeavours and furnish every thing that is in their power which may make it fuller or clearer So I end with that desire which I made in the Preface that any who have in their hands any Papers relating to these times will be pleased to communicate them and what-ever assistance they give to it shall be most thankfully owned and acknowledged The end of the Appendix ADDENDA Numb I. ARTICLES about Religion set out by the Convocation and published by the Kings Authority AN ORIGINAL HENRY the Eight by the Grace of God King of England and of France Defender of the Faith and Lord of Ireland and in Earth Supream Head of the Church of England to all and singular our most loving faithful and obedient Subjects greeting Amongst other cures committed unto this our Princely Office whereunto it hath pleased God of his infinite mercy and goodness to call us we have always esteemed and thought as we also yet esteem and think this to be most chief most ponderous and of most weight that his Holy Word and Commandments may sincerely without let or hinderance be of our Subjects truly believed and reverently kept and observed and that unity and concord in opinions namely in such things as does concern our Religion may encrease and go furthward and all occasion of dissent and discord touching the same be repressed and utterly extinguished for the which cause we being of late to our great regret credibly advertised of such diversity in opinions as have grown and sprongen in this our Realm as well concerning certain Articles necessary to our Salvation as also touching certain honest and commendable Ceremonies rites and usages in our said Church for an honest policy and decent order heretofore of long time used and accustomed minding to have that unity and agreement established through our said Church concerning the premisses and being very desirous to eschew not only the dangers of Souls but also the outward inquietness which by occasion of the said diversity in opinions if remedy had not been provided might perchance have ensued have not only in our own person in any times taken great pain study labour and travails but also have caused our Bishops and other the most discreet and best learned men of our Clergy of this our whole Realm to be assembled in our Convocation for the full debatement and quiet determination of the same where after long and mature deliberation and disputations had of and upon the premisses finally they have concluded and agreed upon the said matters as well those which be commanded of God and are
Campana to England with a Letter of Credence to the Cardinal the effects of which message will appear afterwards And thus ended this year in which it was believed that if the King had employed that Money which was spent in a fruitless Negotiation at Rome on a War in Flanders it had so distracted the Emperors Forces and encouraged the Pope that he had sooner granted that which in a more fruitless way was sought of him In the beginning of the next year Cassali wrote to the Cardinal that the Pope was much inclined to unite himself with the Emperor and proposed to go in Person to Spain to solicite a general Peace but intended to go privately and desired the Cardinal would go with him thither as his Friend and Counsellor and that they two should go as Legates But Cassali by Salviati's means who was in great favour with the Pope understood that the Pope was never in greater fear of the Emperor than at that time for his Ambassador had threatned the Pope severely if he would not recal the Commission that he had sent to England so that the Pope spoke oft to Salviati of the great Repentance that he had inwardly in his heart for granting the Decretal and said He was undone for ever if it came to the Emperors knowledge He also resolved that though the Legates gave Sentence in England it should never take effect for he would not confirm it Of which Gregory Cassali gave Advertisement by an express Messenger who as he passed through Paris met Secretary Knight and Doctor Bennet whom the King had dispatched to Rome to assist his other Ambassadors there and gave them an account of his message and that it was the Advice of the Kings Friends at Rome That he and his Confederates should follow the War more vigorously and press the Emperor harder without which all their applications to the Pope would signifie nothing Of this they gave the Cardinal an account and went on but faintly in their Journey judging that upon these Advertisements they would be recalled and other Counsels taken At the same time the Pope was with his usual Arts cajoling the Kings Agents in Italy For when Sir Francis Brian and Peter Vannes came to Bononia the Proto-Notary Cassali was surprized to hear that the business was not already ended in England since he said he knew there were sufficient Powers sent about it and that the Pope assured him he would confirm their Sentence but that he made a great difference between the confirming their judgment by which he had the Legates between him and the Envy or Odium of it and the granting a Bull by which the Judgment should arise immediately from himself This his best Friends dissuaded and he seemed apprehensive that in case he should do it a Council would be called and he should be deposed for it And any such distraction in the Papacy considering the footing which Heresie had alread gotten would ruin the Ecclesiastical State and the Church So dextrously did the Pope govern himself between such contrary tides But all this Dissimulation was short of what he acted by Campana in England whose true errand thither was to order Campegio to destroy the Bull but he did so perswade the King and the Cardinal of the Popes sincerity that by a dispatch to Sir Francis Brian and Peter Vannes and Sir Gregory Cassali he chid the two former for not making more haste to Rome for he believed it might have been a great advantage to the Kings Affairs if they had got thither before the General of the Observants then Cardinal Angell He ordered them to setle the business of the Guard about the Pope presently and tells them that the Secretary was recalled and Dr. Stephens again sent to Rome And in a Letter to Secretary Knight who went no further than Lions he writ to him That Campana had assured the King and him in the Popes name that the Pope was ready to do not only all that of Law Equity or Justice could be desired of him but whatever of the fulness of his Power he could do or devise for giving the King content And that although there were three things which the Pope had great reason to take care of The calling a General Council The Emperors descent into Italy and the Restitution of his Towns which were offered to be put in his hands by the Emperors means yet neither these nor any other consideration should divert him from doing all that lay within his Authority or Power for the King And that he had so deep a sense of the Kings merits and the obligations that he had laid on him that if his resignation of the Popedom might do him any Service he would readily consent to it And therefore in the Popes name he encouraged the Legates to proceed and end the business Upon these assurances the Cardinal ordered the Secretary to haste forward to Rome and to thank the Pope for that kind message to setle the Guard about him and to tell him that for a Council none could be called but by himself with the consent of the Kings of England and France And for any pretended Council or meeting of Bishops which the Emperor by the Cardinals of his Party might call he needed not fear that For his Towns they should be most certainly restored Nor was the Emperors offering to put them in his hand to be much regarded for though he restored them if the Pope had not a better Guaranty for them it would be easie for him to take them from him when he pleased He was also to propose a firmer League between the Pope England and France in order to which he was to move the Pope most earnestly to go to Nice and if the Pope proposed the Kings taking a second Wife with a Legitimation of the Issue which she might have so the Queen might be induced to enter into a state of Religion to which the Pope inclined most he was not to accept of that both because the thing would take up much time and they found the Queen resolved to do nothing but as she was advised by her Nephews Yet if the Pope offered a Decretal about it he might take it to be made use of as the Occasion might require But by a Postscript he is recalled and it is signified to him that Gardiner was sent to Rome to negotiate these aâ—fairs who had returned to England with the Legate and his being so successful in his former Message made them think him the fittest Minister they could imploy in that Court and to send him with the greater Advantage he was made a Privy Councellour But an unlooked-for Accident put a stop to all Proceedings in the Court of Rome For on Epiphany-day the Pope was taken extreme ill at Mass and a great sickness followed of which it was generally believed he could not recover and though his distemper did soon abate so much that it
St. Austin who do plainly deliver the Tradition of the Church about the obligation of those Laws and answer the objections that were made either from Abraam's Marrying his Sister or from Iacob's Marrying two Sisters or the Law in Deuteronomy for the Brothers Marrying his Brothers Wife if he died without Children They observed that the same Doctrine was also taught by the Fathers and Doctors in the latter Ages d Anselm held it and pleads much for Marrying in remote Degrees and answer the Objection from the Decision in the Case of the Daughters of Zelophehad Hugo Cardinalis Radulphus Flaviacenfis and Rupertus Tuitiensis do agree that these Precepts are Moral and of perpetual obligation as also Hugo de Sto. Victore Hildebert Bishop of Mans being consulted in a Case of the same nature with what is now controverted plainly Determines That a man may not Marry his Brothers Wife and by many Authorities shewes That by no means it can be allowed And Ivo Carnotensis being desired to give his Opinion in a Case of the same circumstanceâ— of a Kings Marrying his Brothers Wife says Such a Marriage is null as inconsistent with the Law of God and that the King was not to be admitted to the Communion of the Church till he put away his Wife since there was no Dispencing with the Law of God and no Sacrifice could be offered for those that continued willingly in sin Passages also to the same purpose are in other places of his Epistles From these Doctors and Fathers the Inquiry descended to the Schoolmen who had with more niceness and subtlety examined things They do all agree in asserting the obligation of these Levitical Prohibitions Thomas Aquinas does it in many places and confirmes it with many Arguments Altisiodorensis says they are Moral Laws and part of the Law of Nature Petrus de Palude is of the â—ame mind and says that a mans Marrying his Brothers Wife was a Dispensation granted by God but could not be now allowed because it was contrary to the Law of Nature St. Antonine of Florence Ioannes de Turre Cremata Ioannes de Tabia Iacobus de Lausania and Astexanus were also cited for the same Opinion And those who wrote against Wickliffe namely Wydeford Cotton and Waldensis charged him with Heresie for denying that those Prohibitions did oblige Christians And asserted that they were Moral Laws which obliged all Mankind And the Books of Waldensis were approved by P. Martin the First There were also many Quotations brought out of Petrus de Tarantasia Durandus Stephanus Brulifer Richardus de Media Villa Guido Briancon Gerson Paulus Ritius and many others to confirm the same Opinion who did all unanimously assert That those Laws in Leviticus are parts of the Law of Nature which oblige all Mankind and that Marriages contracted in these Degrees are null and void All the Canonists were also of the same mind Ioannes Andreas Ioannes de Imola Abbas Panormitanus Mattheus Neru Vincentius Innocentius and Ostiensis all Concluded that these Laws were still in force and could not be Dispenced with There was also a great deal alledged to prove that a Marriage is compleated by the Marriage-Contract though it be never Consummated Many Authorities were brought to prove that Adonijah could not Marry Abishag because she was his Fathers Wife though never known by him And by the Law of Moses a woman espoused to a man if she admitted another to her Bed was to be stoned as an Adulteress from whence it appears that the validity of Marriage is from the mutual Covenant And though Ioseph never knew the Blessed Virgin yet he was so much her Husband by the Espousals that he could not put her away but by a Bill of Divorce and was afterwards called her Husband and Christs Father Affinity had been also defined by all writers a Relation arising out of Marriage and since Marriage was a Sacrament of the Church its Essence could only consist in the Contract and therefore as a man in Orders has the Character though he never Consecrated any Sacrament So Marriage is compleat though its effect never follow And it was shewed that the Canonists had only brought in the Consummation of Marriage as essential to it by Ecclesiastical Law But that as Adam and Eve were perfectly Married before they knew one another so Marriage was compleat upon the Contract and what followed was only an effect done in the right of the Marriage And there was a great deal of filthy stuff brought together of the different Opinions of the Canonists concerning Consummation to what Degree it must go to shew that it could not be essential to the Marriage Conâ—ract which in modesty were suppressed Both Hildebert of Mans Ivo Carnotensis and Hugo de Sto. Victore had delivered this Opinion and proved it out of St. Chrysostome Ambrose Austin and Isidore Pope Nicolas and the Council of Tribur defined that Marriage was compleated by the Consent and the Benediction From all which they Concluded that although it could not be proved that Prince Arthur knew the Queen yet that she being once lawfully Married to him the King could not afterwards Marry her It was also said that violent presumptions were sufficient in the Opinion of the Canonists to prove Consummation Formal proofs could not be expected and for Persons that were of Age and in good health to be in Bed together was in all Trials about Consummation all that the Cononists sought for And yet this was not all in this Case for it appeared that upon her Husbands death she was kept with great care by some Ladies who did think her with Child and she never said any thing against it And in the Petition offered to the Pope in her name repeated in the Bull that was procured for the Second Marriage it is said she was perhaps known by Prince Arthur and in the Breve it is plainly said she was known by Prince Arthur and though the Queen offered to purge her self by Oath that Prince Arthur never knew her it was proved by many Authorities out of the Canon-Law That a Partie's Oath ought not to be taken when there were violent presumptions to the contrary As for the validity of the Popes Dispensation it was said That though the Schoolmen and Canonists did generally raise the Popes Power very high and stretch it as far as it was possible yet they all agreed that it could not reach the Kings Case Upon this received Maxime That only the Laws of the Church are subject to the Pope and may be dispenced with by him but that Laws of God are above him and that he cannot dispence with them in any case This Aquinas delivers in many places of his Works Petrus de Palude says The Pope cannot dispence with Marriage in these Degrees because it is against Nature But Ioannes de Turre Cremata reports a singular Case which fell out when he was a
necessity of making another Law in the Reign of Henry 5th against Provisors that the Incumbents Lawfully Invested in their Livings should not be molested by them though they had the Kings Pardon and both Bulls and Licences were declared void and of no value and those who did upon such grounds molest them should incur the pains of the Statutes against Provisors Our Kings took the best opportunity that ever could have been found to depress the Papal Power for from the beginning of Richard the Second's Reign till the Fourth year of Henry the Fiâ—th the Popedome was broken by a long and great Schism and the Kinâ—doms of Europe were divided in their Obedience Some holding for those that sate at Rome and others for the Popes of Avignon England in opposition to France that chiefly supported the Avignon-Popes did adhere to the Roman Popes The Papacy being thus divided the Popes were as much at the mercy of Kings for their Protection as Kings had formerly been at theirs so that they durst not Thunder as they were wont to do otherwise this Kingdom had certainly been put under Excommunications and Interdicts for these Statutes as had been done formerly upon less Provocations But now that the Schism was healed Pope Martin the Fifth began to reassume the Spirit of his Predecessors and sent over threatning messages to England in the beginning of Henry the Sixths Reign None of our Books have taken any notice of this piece of our History The Manuscript out of which I draw it had been written near that time and contains many of the Letters that passed between Rome and England upon this occasion The first Letter is to Henry Chichely then Arch-Bishop of Canterbury who had been promoted to that See by the Pope but had made no opposition to the Statute against Provisions in the Fourth year of Henry the Fifth and afterwards in the Eighth year of his Reign when the Pope had granted a Provision of the Arch-Bishoprick of York to the Bishop of Lincoln the Chapter of York rejected it and pursuant to the former Statute made a Canonical Election Henry the Fifth being then the greatest King in Christendome the Pope durst not offend him So the Law took place without any further contradiction till the Sixth year of his Sons Reign that England was both under an Infant King and had fallen from its former greatness Therefore the Pope who waited for a good conjuncture laid hold on this and first expostulated severely with the Arch-Bishop for his remisness that he had not stood up more for the Right of St. Peter and the See of Rome that had bestowed on him the Primaâ—y of England and then says many things against the Statute of Premunire and exhorts him to imitate the Example of his Predecessor St. Thomas of Canterbury the Martyr in asserting the Rights of the Church requiring him under the pain of Excommunication to declare at the next Parliament to both Houses the unlawfulness of that Statute and that all were under Excommunication who obeyed it But to make sure work among the people he also commands him to give orders under the same pains that all the Clergy of England should preach the same Doctrine to the people This bears date the 5th day of December 1426. and will be found in the Collection of Papers But it seems the Pope was not satisfied with his Answer for the next Letter in that MSS. is yet more severe and in it his Legantine Power is suspended It has no date added to it but the Paper that follows bearing date the 6th of April 1427. leads us pretty near the date of it It contains an Appeal of the Arch-Bishops from the Popes Sentence to the next general Council or if none met to the Tribunal of God and Jesus Christ. There is also another Letter dated the 6th of May directed to the Arch-Bishop and makes mention of Letters written to the whole Clergie to the same purpose Requiring him to use all his Endeavors for repealing the Statute and chides him severely because he had said that the Popes zeal in this matter was only that he might raise much Money out of England which he resents as an high Injury and Protests that he designed only to maintain these Rights that Christ himself had granted to his See which the Holy Fathers the Councils and the Catholick Church has always acknowledged If this does not look like Teaching ex Cathedra it is left to the Readers Judgment But the next Letter is of an higher strain It is directed to the two Arch-Bishops only and it seems in despite to Chichely the Arch-Bishop of York is named before Canterbury By it the Pope annuls the Statutes made by Edward the Third and Richard the Second and commands them to do no Act in pursuance of them and declares if they or any other gave obedience to them they were ipso facto Excommunicated and not to be relaxed unless at the point of death by any but the Pope He charges them also to intimate that his Monitory Letter to the whole nation and cause it to be affixed in the several places where there might be occasion for it This is dated the 8th of Decemb. the tenth year of his Popedom Then follow Letters from the University of Oxford the Arch-Bishop of York the Bishops of London Duresm and Lincoln to the Pope all to mitigate his displeasure against the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury in which they gave him the highest testimony possible bearing date the 10th and the 25th day of Iuly These the Arch-Bishop sent by an Express to Rome and wrote the humblest submission possible to the Pope Protesting that he had done and would do all that was in his Power for repealing these Statutes One thing in this Letter is remarkable he says he hears the Pope had proceeded to a Sentence against him which had never been done from the days of St. Austin to that time but he knew that only by report for he had not opened much less read the Bulls in which it was contained being commanded by the King to bring them with the Seals entire and lay them up in the Paper-Office till the Parliament was brought together There are two other Letters to the King and one to the Parliament for the Repeal of the Statute In those to the King the Pope writes that he had often pressed both King and Parliament to it and that the King had answered that he could not repeal it without the Parliament But he excepts to that as a delaying the business and shews it is of it self unlawful and that the King was under Excommunication as long as he kept it therefore he expects that at the furthest in the next Parliament it should be repealed It bears date the 13th of October in the 10th year of his Popedom In his Letter to the Parliament he tells them that no Man can be saved who is for the observation of that Statute
the Original that is yet extant which might have been written any time between the year 1534. in which Thomas Goodrick was made Bishop of Ely and the year 1540. in which Iohn Clark Bishop of Bath and Wells died but I incline to think from other circumstances that it was written about the end of the year 1534. For the General Council Though that in the Old time when the Empire of Rome had his ample dominion over the most part of the World the First Four General Councils the which at all times have been of most estimation in the Church of Christ were called and gathered by the Emperors Commandment and for a Godly intent That Heresies might be extinct Schisms put away good Order and Manners in the Ministers of the Church and the people of the same established Like as many Councils more were called till now of late by the negligence as well of the Emperor as other Princes the Bishop of Rome hath been suffered to usurp this Power yet now for so much that the Empire of Rome and the Monarchie of the same hath no such general Dominion but many Princes have absolute Power in their own Realms and a whole and entire Monarchie no one Prince may by his Authority call any General Council but if that any one or moe of these Princes for the establishing of the Faith for the extirpation of Schisms c. Lovingly Charitably with a good sincere Intent to a sure place require any other Prince or the rest of the great Princes to be content to agree that for the Wealth Quietness and Tranquillity of all Christen people by his or their free consent a General Council might be assembled that Prince or those Princes so required are bound by the Order of Charity for the good Fruit that may come of it to condescend and agree thereunto having no lawful Impediment nor just Cause moving to the contrary The chief Causes of the General Councils are before expressed In all the Ancient Councils of the Church in matters of the Faith and interpretation of the Scripture no man made definitive Subscription but Bishops and Priests forsomuch as the Declaration of the Word of God pertaineth unto them T. Cantuarien Cuthbertus Dunelmen Io. Bath wellen Tho. Elien But besides this Resolution I have seen a long speech of Cranmers written by one of his Secretaries It was spoken soon after the Parliament had passed the Acts formerly mentioned for it relates to them as lately done it was delivered either in the House of Lords the upper House of Convocation or at the Council Board but I rather think it was in the House of Lords for it begins My Lords The matter of it does so much concern the business of Reformation that I know the Reader will expect I should set down the heads of it It appears he had been Ordered to Inform the House about these things The Preamble of his Speech runs upon this conceit That as Rich men flying from their Enemies carry away all they can with them and what they cannot take away they either hide or destroy it so the Court of Rome had destroyed so many Ancient writings and hid the rest having carefully preserved every thing that was of advantage to them that it was not easie to discover what they had so artificially concealed Therefore in the Canon-Law some honest truths were yet to be found but so mislay'd that they are not placed where one might expect them but are to be met with in some other Chapters where one would least look for them And many more things said by the Ancients of the See of Rome and against their Authority were lost as appears by the Fragments yet remaining He show'd that many of the Ancients called every thing which they thought well done of Divine Institution by a large extent of the Phrase in which sense the passages of many Fathers that magnified the See of Rome were to be understood Then he show'd for what end General Councils were called to declare the Faith and reform Errors not that ever any Council was truly General for even at Nice there were no Bishops almost but out of Egypt Asia and Greece but they were called General because the Emperor Summon'd them and all Christendome did agree to their Definitions which he prov'd by several Authorities therefore though there were many more Bishops in the Council of Arimini than at Nice or Constantinople yet the one was not received as a General Council and the others were so that it was not the number nor Authority of the Bishops but the matter of their Decisions which made them be received with so general a Submission As for the Head of the Council St. Peter and St. Iames had the chief direction of the Council of the Apostles but there were no Contests then about Head-ship Christ named no Head which could be no more called a defect in him than it was one in God that had named no Head to Govern the World Yet the Church found it convenient to have one over them so Arch-Bishops were set over Provinces And though St. Peter had been Head of the Apostles yet as it is not certain that he was ever in Rome so it does not appear that he had his Headship for Romes sake or that he left it there but he was made Head for his Faith and not for the Dignity of any See Therefore the Bishops of Rome could pretend to nothing from him but as they followed his Faith and Liberius and some other Bishops there had been condemned for Heresie and if according to St. Iames Faith be to be tryed by Works the Lives of the Popes for several Ages gave shrewd presumptions that their Faith was not good And though it were granted that such a Power was given to the See of Rome yet by many instances he show'd that positive precepts in a matter of that nature were not for ever Obligatory And therefore Gerson wrote a Book De Auferibilitate Papae So that if a Pope with the Cardinals be corrupted they ought to be tryed by a General Council and submit to it St. Peter gave an account of his Baptizing Cornelius when he was questioned about it So Damasus Sixtus and Leo purged themselves of some scandals Then he showed how Corrupt the present Pope was both in his person and Government for which he was abhorred even by some of his Cardinals as himself had heard and seen at Rome It is true there was no Law to proceed against a vitious Pope for it was a thing not foreseen and thought scarcely possible but new diseases required new remedies and if a Pope that is an Heretick may be judged in a Council the same reason would hold against a Symoniacal Covetous and Impious Pope who was Salt that had lost its favour And by several Authorities he proved that every man who lives so is thereby out of the Communion of the Church and that as the
Order to another By whom And for what Cause What Mortmains they had And whether their Founders were sufficiently Authorized to make such Donations Upon what suggestions and for what Causes they were exempted from their Diocesans Their Local Statutes were also to be seen and examined The Election of their Head was to be enquired into The Rule of every House was to be considered How many professed And how many Novices were in it And at what time the Novices Professed Whether they knew their Rule and observed it Chiefly the three Vows of Poverty Chastity and Obedience Whether any of them kept any money without the Masters knowledge Whether they kept company with women within or without the Monastery Or if there were any back-doors by which women came within the precinct Whether they had any boys lying by them Whether they observed the Rules of Silence Fasting Abstinence and Hair-shirts Or by what warrant they were dispenced with in any of these Whether they did Eat Sleep wear their Habit and stay within the Monastery according to their Rules Whether the Master was too cruel or too remiss And whether he used the Brethren without partiality or malice Whether any of the Brethren were incorrigible Whether the Master made his accompts faithfully once a year Whether all the other Officers made their accompts truely And whether the whole Revenues of the House were imployed according to the intention of the Founders Whether the Fabrick was kept up and the Plate and Furniture were carefully preserved Whether the Covent-Seal and the Writings of the House were well kept And whether Leases were made by the Master to his Kindred and Friends to the damage of the House Whether Hospitality was kept and whether at the receiving of Novices any money or reward was demanded or promised What care was taken to instruct the Novices Whether any had entred into the House in hope to be once the Master of it Whether in giving Presentations to Livings the Master had reserved a Pension out of them Or what sort of Bargains he made concerning them An account was to be taken of all the Parsonages and Vicarages belonging to every House and how these Benefices were disposed of and how the Cure was served All these things were to be inquired after in the Houses of Monks or Friars And in the Visitation of Nunneries they were to Search Whether the House had a good Enclosure and if the Doors and Windows were kept shut so that no man could enter at inconvenient hours Whether any men conversed with the Sisters alone without the Abbesses leave Whether any Sister was forced to profess either by her Kindred or by the Abbess Whether they went out of their precinct without leave And whether they wore their Habit then What employment they had out of the times of Divine Service What familiarity they had with Religious men Whether they wrote Love-Letters Or sent and received Tokens or Presents Whether the Confessor was a discreet and learned man and of good reputation And how oft a year the Sisters did Confess and Communicate They were also to visit all Collegiate Churches Hospitals and Cathedrals and the Order of the Knights of Ierusalem But if this Copy be compleat they were only to view their Writings and Papers to see what could be gathered out of them about the Reformation of Monastical Orders And as they were to visit according to these Instructions so they were to give some Injunctions in the Kings Name That they should endeavour all that in them lay that the Act of the Kings Succession should be observed where it is said that they had under their Hands and Seals confirmed it This showes that all the Religious Houses of England had acknowledged it and they should teach the people that the Kings Power was Supreme on Earth under God and that the Bishop of Rome's Power was Usurped by Craft and Policy and by his ill Canons and Decretals which had been long tolerated by the Prince but was now justly taken away The Abbot and Brethren were declared to be absolved from any Oath they had Sworn to the Pope or to any Forreign Potentate and the Satutes of any Order that did bind them to a Forreign Subjection were abrogated and ordered to be razed out of their Books That no Monk should go out of the precinct nor any woman enter within it without leave from the King or the Visitor and that there should be no entry to it but one Some Rules were given about their Meals and a Chapter of the Old or New Testament was ordered to be read at every one The Abbots Table was to be served with common Meats and not with delicate and strange Dishes and either he or one of the Seniors were to be always there to entertain strangers Some other Rules follow about the distribution of their Alms their accommodation in Health and Sickness One or two of every House was to be kept at the University that when they were well Instructed they might come and teach others And every day there was to be a Lecture of Divinity for a whole hour The Brethren must all be well employed The Abbot or Head was every day to explain some part of the Rule and apply it according to Christ's Law and to shew them that their Ceremonies were but Elements introductory to true Christianity and that Religion consisted not in Habits or in such like Rites but in cleanness of Heart pureness of Living unfeigned Faith Brotherly Charity and true honouring of God in Spirit and Truth That therefore they must not rest in their Ceremonies but ascend by them to true Religion Other Rules are added about the Revenues of the House and against Wastes and that none be entred into their House nor admitted under twenty four years of Age. Every Priest in the House was to say Mass daily and in it to pray for the King and Queen If any brake any of these Injunctions he was to be denounced to the King or his Visitor-general The Visitor had also Authority to punish any whom he should find guilty of any Crime and to bring the Visitor-general such of their Books and Writings as he thought fit But before I give an account of this Visitation I presume it will not be ingrateful to the Reader to offer him some short view of the Rise and Progress of Monastick Orders in England and of the state they were in at this time What the Ancient British Monks were or by what Rule they were Governed whether it was from the Eastern Churches that this Constitution was brought into Britain and was either suited to the Rule of St. Anthony St. Pachon or St. Basil or whether they had it from France where Sulpitius tells us St. Martin set up Monasteries must be left to conjecture But from the little that remains of them we find they were very numerous and were obedient to the Bishop of Caerleon as all the Monks of the
given by Christ in the Gospel to the Priest and must be believed as if it were spoken by God himself according to our Saviours words and therefore none were to condemn auricular Confession but use it for the comfort of their Consciences The people were also to be instructed that though God pardoned sin only for the satisfaction of Christ yet they must bring forth the Fruits of Penance Prayer Fasting Almsdeeds with restitution and satisfaction for wrongs done to others with other works of Mercy and Charity and Obedience to Gods Commandments else they could not be saved and that by doing these they should both obtain Everlasting Life and mitigation of their Afflictions in this present life according to the Scriptures Fourthly As touching the Sacrament of the Altar people were to be instructed that under the Forms of Bread and Wine there was truly and substantially given the very same Body of Christ that was born of the Virgin Mary and therefore it was to be received with all Reverence every one duly Examining himself according to the words of St. Paul Fifthly The people were to be instructed That Justification signifieth Remission of sins and acceptation into the favour of God that is to say a perfect Renovation in Christ. To the attaining which they were to have Contrition Faith Charity which were both to concur in it and follow it and that the good works necessary to Salvation were not only outward Civil works but the inward motions and graces of Gods Holy Spirit to dread fear and love him to have firm confidence in God to call upon him and to have patience in all adversities to hate sin and have purposes and wills not to sin again with such other motions and vertues consenting and agreeable to the Law of God The other Articles were about the Ceremonies of the Church First of Images The people were to be instructed That the use of them was warranted by the Scriptures and that they served to represent to them good Examples and to stir up Devotion and therefore it was meet that they should stand in the Churches But that the people might not fall into such Superstition as it was thought they had done in time past they were to be taught to reform such Abuses lest Idolatry might ensue and that in censing kneeling offering or worshipping them the people were to be instructed not to do it to the Image but to God and his honour Secondly For the honouring of Saints they were not to think to attain these things at their hands which were only obtained of God but that they were to honour them as persons now in glory to praise God for them and imitate their vertues and not fear to die for the Truth as many of them had done Thirdly For praying to Saints The people were to be taught that it was good to pray to them to pray for and with us And to correct all Superstitious Abuses in this matter they were to keep the days appointed by the Church for their Memories unless the King should lessen the number of them which if he did it was to be obeyed Fourthly Of Ceremonies The people were to be taught That they were not to be condemned and cast away but to be kept as good and laudable having mystical significations in them and being useful to lift up our minds to God Such were the Vestments in the worship of God The sprinkling holy-water to put us in mind of our Baptism and the Blood of Christ Giving holy Bread in sign of our Union in Christ and to remember us of the Sacrament Bearing Candles on Candlemas-day in remembrance that Christ was the spiritual Light Giving Ashes on Ash-wednes-day to put us in mind of Penance and of our Mortality Bearing Palms on Palm-sunday to show our desire to receive Christ in our hearts as he entred into Ierusalem Creeping to the Cross on Good-friday and kissing it in memory of his death with the setting up the Sepulchre on that day The Hallowing the Font and other Exorcisms and Benedictions And lastly As to Purgatory They were to declare it good and charitable to pray for the Souls departed which was said to have continued in the Church from the beginning And therefore the people were to be instructed That it consisted well with the due order of Charity to pray for them and to make others pray for them in Masses and Exequies and to give Alms to them for that end But since the place they were in and the pains they suffered were uncertain by the Scripture we ought to remit them wholly to Gods mercy Therefore all these Abuses were to be put away which under the pretence of Purgatory had been advanced as if the Popes pardons did deliver Souls out of it or Masses said in certain places or before certain Images had such efficiency with other such-like Abuses These Articles being thus conceived and in several places corrected and tempered by the Kings own hand were signed by Cromwell and the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and seventeen other Bishops forty Abbots and Priors and fifty Arch-Deacons and Proctors of the lower House of Convocation Among whom Polidor Virgil and Peter Vannes signed with the rest as appears by the Original yet extant They being tendered to the King he confirmed them and ordered them to be published with a Preface in his name It is said in the Preface that he accounting it the chief part of his Charge that the Word and Commandments of God should be believed and observed and to maintain unity and concord in opinion and understanding to his great regret that there was great diversity of opinion arisen among his Subjects both about Articles of Faith and Ceremonies had in his own Person taken great pains and study about these things and had ordered also the Bishops and other Learned men of the Clergy to examine them who after long deliberation had concluded on the most special Points which the King thought proceeded from a good right and true judgment according to the Laws of God these would also be profitable for establishing unity in the Church of England Therefore he had ordered them to be published requiring all to accept of them praying God so to illuminate their hearts that they might have no less zeal and love to unity and concord in reading them than he had in making them to be devised set forth and published which good acceptance should encourage him to take further pains for the future as should be most for the honour of God and the profit and the quietness of his Subjects This being published occasion'd great variety of Censures Those that desired Reformation were glad to see so great a step once made and did not doubt but this would make way for further Changes They rejoyced to see the Scriptures and the ancient Creeds made the Standards of the Faith without mentioning Tradition or the Decrees of the Church Then the Foundation of Christian Faith was truly stated and
The King did also set forward the Printing of the English Bible which was finished this year at London by Grafton the Printer who Printed 1500 of them at his own Charge This Bible Cromwel presented to the King and procured his Warrant allowing all his Subjects in all his Dominions to read it without controul or hazard For which the Arch-Bishop wrote Cromwel a Letter of most hearty thanks dated the 13th of August Who did now rejoyce that he saw this day of Reformation which he concluded was now risen in England since the Light of Gods word did shine over it without any Cloud The Translation had been sent over to France to be Printed at Paris the workmen in England not being judged able to do it as it ought to be Therefore in the year 1537. it was recommended to Bonners care who was then Ambassador at Paris and was much in Cromwels favour who was setting him up against Gardiner He procured the King of France's leave to Print it at Paris in a large Volume but upon a complaint made by the French Clergy the Press was stopt and most of the Copies were seized on and publickly burnt but some Copies were conveyed out of the way and the work-men and fourms were brought over to England where it was now finished and published And Injunctions were given out in the Kings name by Cromwel to all Incumbents to provide one of these Bibles and set it up publickly in the Church and not to hinder or discourage the reading of it but to encourage all persons to peruse it as being the true lively word of God which every Christian ought to believe embrace and follow if he expected to be saved And all were exhorted not to make contests about the Exposition or sense of any difficult place but to refer that to men of higher judgment in the Scriptures Then some other Rules were added about the Instructing the people in the Principles of Religion by teaching the Creed the Lords Prayer and ten Commandments in English And that in every Church there should be a Sermon made every quarter of an year at least to declare to the people the true Gospel of Christ and to exhort them to the works of Charity Mercy and Faith and not to trust in other mens works or Pilgrimages to Images or Relicks or saying over Beads which they did not understand since these things tended to Idolatry and Superstition which of all offences did most provoke Gods Indignation They were to take down all Images which were abused by Pilgrimages or offerings made to them and to suffer no Candles to be set before any Image only there might be Candles before the Cross and before the Sacrament and about the Sepulchre And they were to Instruct the people that Images served only as the Books of the un-learned to be remembrances of the Conversations of them whom they represented but if they made any other use of Images it was Idolatry for remedying whereof as the King had already done in part so he intended to do more for the abolishing such Images which might be a great offence to God and a danger to the Souls of his Subjects And if any of them had formerly Magnified such Images or Pilgrimages to such purposes They were ordered openly to recant and acknowledg that in saying such things they had been led by no ground in Scripture but where deceived by a vulgar error which had crept into the Church through the Avarice of those who had profit by it They were also to discover all such as were Letters of the reading of Gods word in English or hindred the Execution of these Injunctions Then followed orders for keeping of Registers in their Parishes for Reading all the Kings Injunctions once every quarter at least That none were to alter any of the Holy-days without directions from the King And all the Eves of the Holy-days formerly abrogated were declared to be no Fasting-days The Commemoration of Thomas Becket was to be clean omitted The kneeling for the Avies after Sermon were also forbidden which were said in hope to obtain the Popes Pardon And whereas in their Processions they used to say so many Suffrages with an Ora pro nobis to the Saints by which they had not time to say the Suffrages to God himself they were to teach the people that it were better to omit the Ora pro nobis and to sing the other Suffrages which were most necessary and most effectual These Injunctions struck at three main Points of Popery containing encouragements to the vulgar to Read the Scriptures in a known tongue and putting down all worship of Images and leaving it free for any Curate to leave out the Suffrages to the Saints So that they were looked on as a deadly blow to that Religion But now those of that party did so Artificially comply with the King that no advantages could be found against any of them for their disobedience The King was Master at home and no more to be disobeyed He had not only broken the Rebellion of his own Subjects and secured himself by Alliance from the dangers threatned him by the Pope but all their expectations from the Lady Mary were now clouded For on the 12th of October 1537. Queen Iane had born him a Son who was Christned Edward the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury being one of his God-Fathers This very much encouraged all that were for Reformation and disheartned those who were against it But the joy for this young Prince was qualified by the Queens death two days after which afflicted the King very much for of all his Wives she was the dearest to him And his grief for that loss is given as the reason why he continued two years a Widower But others thought he had not so much tenderness in his Nature as to be much or long troubled for any thing Therefore the slowness of his Marrying was ascribed to some reasons of State But the Birth of the Prince was a great disappointment to all those whose hopes rested on the Lady Maries succeeding her Father Therefore they submitted themselves with more than ordinary Compliance to the King Gardiner was as busie as any in declaiming against the Religious Houses and took occasion in many of his Sermons to commend the King for suppressing them The Arch-Bishop of York had recovered himself at Court And I do not find that he interposed in the Suppression of any of the Religious Houses except Hexham about which he wrote to Cromwel that it was a great Sanctuary when the Scots made Inroads And so he thought that the continuing of it might be of great use to the King He added in that Letter that he did carefully silence all the Preachers of Novelties But some of these boasted that they would shortly have Licences from the King as he heard they had already from the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury but he desired Cromwel to prevent that mischief This is all that I
received it Laying Censures upon such as were present at the rest of that office and did not stay and Communicate For the Fifth it touched Cranmer to the quick for he was then Marryed The Scripture did in no place enjoyn the Celibate of the Clergy On the contrary Scripture speaks of their Wives and gives the Rules of their living with them And St. Paul in express words condemns all mens leaving their Wives without exception saying That the man hath not Power over his own body but the Wife In the Primitive Church though those that were in orders did not Marry yet such as were Marryed before Orders kept their Wives of which there were many Instances and when some moved in the Council of Nice that all that had been Marryed when they entred into Orders should put away their Wives it was rejected and ever since the Greek Churches have allowed their Priests to keep their Wives Nor was it ever commanded in the Western Church till the Popes began their Usurpation Therefore the prohibition of it being only grounded on the Papal Constitutions it was not reasonable to keep it up since that Authority on which it was built was now overthrown What was said concerning Auricular Confession I cannot so easily recover For though Cranmer argued three days against these Articles I can only gather the substance of his Arguments from what himself wrote on some of these Heads afterwards For nothing remains of what passed there but what is conveyed to us in the Journal which is short and defective On the 24th of May the Parliament was Prorogued to the 30th upon what reason it does not appear It was not to set any of the Bills backward for it was agreed that the Bills should continue in the State in which they were then till their next meeting When they met again on the 30th of May being Friday the Lord Chancellor intimated to them that not only the Spiritual Lords but the King himself had taken much pains to bring things to an agreement which was effected Therefore he moved in the Kings name that a Bill might be brought in for punishing such as offended against these Articles So the Lords appointed the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Bishops of Ely and St. Davids and Doctor Petre a master of Chancery afterwards Secretary of State to draw one Bill and the Arch-Bishop of York the Bishop of Duresin and Winchester and Doctor Tregonnel another Master of Chancery to draw another Bill about it and to have them both ready and to offer them to the King by Sunday next But the Bill that was drawn by the Arch-Bishop of York and those with him was best liked yet it seems the Matter was long contested for it was not brought to the House before the 7th of Iune and then the Lord Chancellor offered it and it was read the first time On the 9th of Iune it had the second reading and on the 10th it was engrossed and read the third time But when it passed the King desired the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to go out of the House since he could not give his consent to it but he humbly excused himself for he thought he was bound in conscience to stay and vote against it It was sent down to the House of Commons where it met with no great opposition for on the 14th it was agreed to and sent up again And on the 28th it had the force of a Law by the Royal Assent The Title of it was an Act for abolishing Diversity of opinions in certain Articles concerning Christian Religion It is said in the Preamble that the King considering the blessed effects of union and the mischiefs of discord since there were many different opinions both among the Clergy and Laity about some points of Religion had called this Parliament and a Synod at the same time for removing these differences where six Articles were proposed and long debated by the Clergy And the King himself had come in person to the Parliament and Council and opened many things of high Learning and great knowledg about them And that he with the Assent of both Houses of Parliament had agreed on the following Articles First That in the Sacrament of the Altar after the Consecration there remained no Substance of Bread and Wine but under these forms the Natural Body and Blood of Christ were present Secondly That Communion in both kinds was not necessary to Salvation to all persons by the Law of God but that both the Flesh and Blood of Christ were together in each of the kinds Thirdly That Priests after the order of Priesthood might not Marry by the Law of God Fourthly That vows of Chastity ought to be observed by the Law of God Fifthly That the use of private Masses ought to be continued which as it was agreeable to Gods Law so men received great benefit by them Sixthly That Auricular Confession was expedient and necessary and ought to be retained in the Church The Parliament thanked the King for the pains he had taken in these Articles And Enacted that if any after the 12th of Iuly did speak preach or write against the first Article they were to be judged Hereticks and to be burnt without any abjuration and to forfeit their real and personal Estates to the King And those who preached or obstinately disputed against the other Articles were to be judged Felons and to suffer death as Felons without benefit of Clergy And those who either in word or writing spake against them were to be Prisoners during the Kings pleasure and forfeit their goods and Chattels to the King for the first time And if they offended so the second time they were to suffer as Felons All the Marriages of Priests are declared void and if any Priest did still keep any such woman whom he had so Marryed and lived familiarly with her as with his Wife he was to be judged a Felon And if a Priest lived carnally with any other woman he was upon the first Conviction to forfeit his Benefices Goods and Chattels and to be Imprisoned during the Kings pleasure and upon the second Conviction was to suffer as a Felon The women so offending were also to be punished in the same manner as the Priests and those who contemned or abstained from Confession or the Sacrament at the accustomed times for the first offence were to forfeit their Goods and Chattels and be Imprisoned and for the second were to be adjudged of Felony And for the Execution of this Act Commissions were to be issued out to all Arch-Bishops and Bishops and their Chancellors and Commissaries and such others in the several shires as the King should name to hold their Sessions quarterly or oftner and they were to proceed upon presentments and by a Jury Those Commissioners were to swear that they should execute their Commission indifferently without favour affection corruption or malice As Ecclesiastical Incumbents were to read this Act in their Churches once a
have given to the Reformation born down this Proposition and turned all the Kings Bounty and Foundations another way These new Foundations gave some credit to the Kings proceedings and made the Suppression of Chantries and Chappels go on more smoothly But those of the Roman party beyond Sea censured this as they had done all the rest of the Kings Actings They said it was but a slight Restitution of a small part of the goods of which he had robbed the Church And they complained of the Kings encroaching on the Spiritual Jurisdiction of the Church by dismembring Dioceses and removing Churches from one Jurisdiction to another To this it was answered that the necessities which their practices put on the King both to â—ortifie his Coast and Dominions to send money beâ—ond Sea for keeping the War at a distance from himself and to secure his quiet at home by easie grants of these Lands made him that he could not do all that he intended And for the Division of Dioceses many things were brought from the Roman Law to shew That the Division of the Ecclesiastical â—urisdiction whether of Patriarches Primates Metropolitans or Bishops was Regulated by the Emperors of which the Ancient Councils always approved And in England when the Bishoprick of Lincoln being judged of too great an Extent the Bishoprick of Ely was taken out of it it was done only by the King with the consent of his Clergy and Nobles Pope Nicolas indeed officiously intruded himself into that matter by sending afterwards a Confirmation of that which was done But that was one of the great Arts of the Papacy to offer Confirmations of things that were done without the Popes For these being easily received by them that thought of nothing more than to give the better countenance to their own Acts the Popes afterwards founded a Right on these Confirmations The very receiving of them was pretended to be an acknowledgment of a Title in the Pope And the matter was so artificially managed that Princes were noozed into some approbation of such a pretence before they were aware of it And then the Authority of the Canon-Law prevailing Maxims were laid down in it by which the most tacite and inconsiderate Acts of Princes were construed to such senses as still advanced the greatness of the Papal pretensions This business of the new Foundations being thus setled the matters of the Church were now put in a method and the Bishops Book was the standard of Religion So that whatsoever was not agreeable to that was judged Heretical whether it leaned to the one side or the other But it seems that the King by some secret Order had chained up the party which was going on in the Execution of the Statute of the six Articles that they should not proceed capitally Thus matters went this year and with this the Series of the History of the Reformation made by this King ends for it was now digested and formed into a Body What followed was not in a Thred but now and then some remarkable things were done sometimes in favour of the one and sometimes of the other party For after Cromwel fell the King did not go on so steadily in any thing as he had done formerly Cromwel had an Ascendant over him which after Cardinal Wolseys fall none besides himself ever had They knew how to manage the Kings uneasie and imperious humor But now none had such a Power over him The Duke of Norfolk was rich and brave and made his Court well but had not so great a Genius so that the King did rather trust and fear than esteem him Gardiner was only a Tool and being of an abject Spirit was employed but not at all reverenced by the King Cranmer retained always his candor and simplicity and was a great Prelate but neither a good Courtier nor a States-man And the King esteemed him more for his vertues than for his dexterity and cunning in business So that now the King was left wholly to himself and being extream humorous and impatiâ—nt there were more errors committed in the last years of his Government than had been for his whole Reign before France forsook him Scotland made War upon him which might have been fatal to him if their King had not dyed in the beginning of it leaving an Infant Princess but a few days old behind him And though the Emperor made peace with him yet it was but an hollow agreement Of all which I shall give but slender hints in the rest of this Book and rather open some few particulars than pursue a Continued Narration since the matter of my Work failes me In May the 33d year of the Kings Reign a new Impression of the Bible was finished and the King by Proclamation Required all Curates and Parishioners of every Town and Parish to provide themselves a Copy of it before All-Hallowtide under the penalty of forfeiting forty Shillings a month after that till they had one He declared that he set it forth to the end that his people might by Reading it perceive the Power Wisdom and Goodness of God Observe his Commandments obey the Laws and their Prince and live in Godly Charity among themselves But that the King did not thereby intend that his Subjects should presume to expound or take arguments from Scripture nor disturb Divine Service by reading it when Mass was Celebrating but should read it meekly humbly and reverently for their Instruction Edification and Amendment There was also care taken so to Regulate the Prices of the Bibles that there should be no exacting on the Subjects in the Sale of them And Bonner seeing the Kings mind was set on this ordered six of these great Bibles to be set up in several places of St. Pauls that all persons who could read might at all times have free access to them And upon the Pillars to which these Bibles were chained an Exhortation was set up admonishing all that came thither to read That they should lay aside vain-glory hypocrisie and all other corrupt affections and bring with them Discretion good Intentions Charity Reverence and a quiet behaviour for the Edification of their own Souls but not to draw multitudes about them nor to make Expositions of what they read nor to read aloud nor make noise in time of Divine Service nor enter into Disputes concerning it But people came generally to hear the Scriptures read and such as could read and had clear voices came often thither with great Crowds about them And many set their Children to School that they might carry them with them to St. Pauls and hear them read the Scriptures Nor could the people be hindred from entring into disputes about some places for who could hear the words of the Institution of the Sacrament Drink ye all of it or St. Pauls Discourse against worship in an unknown tongue and not from thence be led to consider that the people were deprived of the Cup which by
trusted to outward Ceremonies and their Curates for their own gain encouraged them in it It was observed that the opinion of Clergy-mens being exempted from the secular Judge was ill grounded that Bishops did ordain without due care and Tryal that the Dignified Clergy misapplyed their Revenues did not follow their first Institution and did not reside upon their Benefices And in fine he moves that the four Sacraments which had been left undetermined by the former Articles might be examined the outward signs and actions the promises made upon them and the efficacy that was in them being well considered The second Paper consists of two Resolutions made concerning Confirmation by the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and Stokesley Bishop of London by which I perceive the way of examining matters by giving out of questions to Bishops and Divines was sooner practised then when I first took notice of it page 286. there are several other Papers concerning Confirmation but these are only Subscribed and the rest do generally follow these two Prelates who were then the heads of two different parties The Arch-Bishop went on this ground that all things were to be tryed by the Scripture but Stokesley and almost the whole Clergy were for receiving the Tradition of the Church as not much inferiour to the Scriptures which he asserts in his Subscription The third Paper was offered to the King by Cranmer to perswade him to proceed to a further Reformation that things might be long and well considered before they were determined that nothing might be declared a part of Gods faith without good proofs from Scripture the departing from which rule had been the occasion of all the Errors that had been in the Church that now men would not be led as they had been but would examine matters that many things were now acknowledged to be truths such as the unlawfulness of the Popes Usurped Power for which many had formerly suffered death Whereupon he desires that some points might be Examined by Scrinture as whether there is a Purgatory whether departed Souls ought to be Invocated whether Tradition ought to be believed whether there be any satisfaction besides the satisfaction of Christ whether free will may dispose it self to grace and whether Images ought to be kissed or used to any other end but as representations of a piece of History In all these he desired the King would suspend his Judgment and in particular that he would not determine against the Lawfulness of the Marriage of the Clergy but would for some time silence both parties He also proposed that this point might by order from the King be examined in the Universities before indifferent Judges that all the Arguments against it might be given to the Defenders twelve days before the publick disputation and he offered that if those who should defend the Lawfulness of Priests Marriage were in the Opinion of indifferent Judges overcome they should willingly suffer death for it but if otherwise all they desired was that in that point the King might leave them in the liberty to which the Word of God left them Ad Page 249. line 18. I have seen a much fuller paper concerning Orders and Ecclesiastical functions which the Reader will find in the Collection signed by Cromwell the two Arch-Bishops and eleven Bishops and twenty Divines and Canonists Declaring that the Power of the Keys and other Church-functions is formally distinct from the Power of the Sword That this Power is not absolute but to be limited by the Rules that are in the Scripture and is ordained only for the edification and good of the Church that this Power ought to be still preserved since it was given by Christ as the mean of reconciling sinners to God Orders were also declared a Sacrament since they consisted of an outward action instituted by Christ and an inward grace conferred with them But that all Inferiour Orders Ianitors Lectors c. were brought into the Church to beautifie and adorn it and were taken from the Temple of the Iews And that in the New Testament there is no mention made but of Deacons or Ministers and Priests or Bishops nor is there belonging to Orders any other Ceremony mentioned in the Scripture but Prayer and Imposition of hands This was signed either in the year 1537 or 1538 since it is Subscribed both by Iohn Hilsey Bishop of Rochester and Edward Fox Bishop of Hereford for the one was consecrated in 1537 and the other dyed in May 1538. On this Paper I will add two remarks the one is that after this I do never find the Inferiour Degrees under a Deacon mentioned in this Church so it seems at this time they were laid aside They were first set up in the Church about the end of the second or the beginning of the third Century in the middle of which we find both Cornelius Bishop of Rome and St. Cyprian mentioning them as Orders that were then established and it seems they were designed as previous steps to the Sacred functions that none might be Ordained to these but such as had been long before separated from a secular state of Life and had given good proofs of themselves in these lower degrees But it turned in the Church of Rome to be only a matter of form and many took the first Tonsure that they might be exempted from the Secular Power and be qualified for Commendams and some other Worldly advantages to which these lower Orders were sufficient by those Rules which the Canonists had brought in Another thing is that both in this Writing and in the Necessary Erudition of a Christian man Bishops and Priests are spoken of as one and the same Office In the Antient Church they knew none of those Subtilties which were found out in the latter Ages It was then thought enough that a Bishop was to be dedicated to his function by a new Imposition of hands and that several Offices could not be performed without Bishops such as Ordination Confirmation c. but they did not refine in these matters so much as to enquire whether Bishops and Priests differed in Order and Office or only in degree But after the Schoolmen fell to examine matters of Divinity with Logical and Unintelligible niceties and the Canonists began to Comment upon the rules of the Ancient Church they studied to make Bishops and Priests seem very near one another so that the difference was but small They did it with different designs The Schoolmen having set up the grand Mystery of Transubstantiation were to exalt the Priestly Office as much as was possible for the turning the Host into God was so great an action that they reckoned there could be no Office higher than that which qualified a man to so mighty a Performance therefore as they changed the form of Ordination from what it was Anciently believed to consist in to a delivering of the Sacred Vessels and held that a Priest had his Orders by that rite and not by
censured p. 259 An Act about the Suppression of all Monasteries p. 260 Another for erecting New Bishopricks p. 262 The Kings design about these ibid. An Act for Obedience to the Kings Proclamations p. 263 An Act concerning Precedence p. 264 Some Acts of Attaindor ibid. The Kings care of Cranmer p. 265 Who wrote against the six Articles ibid. Proceedings upon that Act p. 266 Bonners Commission for holding his Bishoprick of the King p. 267 The total Dissolution of Abbeys ibid. Which were sold or given away p. 268 A Project of a seminary for Ministers of State p. 269 A Proclamation for the use of the Bible p. 270 The King designs to Marry Anne of Cleve ibid. Who comes over but is disliked by the King p. 271 Anno 1540. BVt he Marries her yet could never love her p. 273 A Parliament is called p. 274 Where Cromwel speaks as Lord Vice-gerent ibid. The Suppression of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem p. 275 Cromwells fall p. 276 The King is in love with Katherine Howard ibid. Cranmers friendship to Cromwell p. 277 Cromwels Attaindor p. 278 Censures past upon it p. 279 The Kings Divorce is proposed p. 280 And referred to the Convocation ibid. Reasons pretended for it ibid. The Convocation agree to it p. 281 Which was much censured ibid. It is Confirmed in Parliament p. 282 The Queen consents to it ibid. An Act about the Incontinence of Priests ibid. Another Act about Religion ibid. Another concerning Precontracts p. 283 Subsidies granted by Clergy and Laity ibid. Cromwell's Death p. 284 His Character Ibid. Designs against Cranmer p. 285 Some Bishops and Divines consult about Religion p. 286 An Explanation of Faith ibid. Cranmers Opinion about it p. 288 They Explain the Apostles Creed ibid. And the Seven Sacraments with great care p. 289 As also the Ten Commandments p. 290 The Lords Prayer the Ave Maria and free-will p. 291 And Iustification and Good works p. 292 Published by the King but much censured p. 293 A Correction of the Missalls p. 294 The Sufferings of Barnes and others p. 295 They are Condemned unheard p. 297 Their Speeches at their Death ibid. Bonners Cruelty p. 299 New Bishopricks Founded p. 300 Cranmers design is defeated p. 301 These Foundations are censured ibid. The State of the Court p. 302 The Bible is set up in Churches ibid. An Order for Churchmens house-keeping p. 303 The King goes to York p. 304 The State of Scotland ibid. The beginning of the Reformation p. 305 Patrick Hamiltons Sufferings ibid. A further Prosecution p. 308 The Kings was wholly quieted by the Clergy p. 309 Some put to death others escaped p. 310 The Queens ill life is discovered p. 312 Anno 1542. A Parliament called ibid. An Act about the Queen much censured p. 313 A design to suppress the English Bible p. 314 The Bible ordered to be revised by the Vniversities p. 315. B. Bonners Injunctions ibid. The way of Preaching at that time p. 316 Plaies and Enterludes then Acted p. 318 War between England and Scotland ibid. The Scots are defeated and their King dies p. 320 Anno 1543. CRanmer Promotes a Reformation p. 321 An Act of Parliament for it ibid. Another about the Kings Proclamations p. 322 A League between the King and the Emperor p. 323 A Match designed with Scotland ibid. But the French party prevailed there p. 324 A War with France p. 325 A Persecution of the Reformers Ibid. Marbecks great Ingeniousness p. 326 Three burnt at Windsor p. 327 Their Persecutors are Perjured ibid. A design against Cranmer ibid. It came to nothing p. 328 His Christian behaviour ibid. Anno 1544. A New Parliament ibid. An Act about the Succession ibid. An Act against Conspiracies p. 330 An Act for revising the Canon-Law ibid. A discharge of the Kings debts ibid. The War against Scotland p. 331 Audley the Chancellor dies ibid. The Prayers are put in English ibid. Bulloign is taken p. 332 Anno. 1545. THe Germans Mediate a peace between England and France ibid. Some great Church-Preferments p. 333 Wisharts Sufferings in Scotland ibid. Cardinal Beaton is killed p. 336 Anno 1546. A New Parliament p. 338. Chappels and Chanteries given to the King ibid. The Kings Speech to the Parliament ibid. The King confirms the Rights of Vniversities p. 334 A Peace with France p. 340 Designs of a further Reformation ibid. Shaxtons Apostacy ibid. The troubles of Anne Askew p. 341 She endures the Rack p. 342 And is burnt with some others ibid. A design against Cranmer ibid. The King takes care of him p. 343 A design against the Queen p. 344 The cause of the Duke of Norfolks Disgrace p. 345 Anno 1547. THe Earl of Surrey is Executed p. 346 The Duke of Norfolks Submission ibid. A Parliament meets p. 347 The Duke of Norfolk is Attainted ibid. His Death prevented by the Kings p. 348 The Emperors designs against the Protestants ibid. The Kings sickness ibid. His Latter will a Forgery p. 349 The Kings severities against the Popish Party p. 351 Some Carthusians Executed for denying the Kings Supremacy p. 352 And a Priest for Treason ibid. Three Monks Executed ibid. Fishers Tryal and Death p. 353 His Character p. 354 Mores Tryal and Death ibid. His Character p. 355 Attaindâ—rs after the Rebellion was quieted p. 356 Censures past upon it p. 357 F. Forrests Equivocation and Heresie ibid. The Proceedings against Cardinal Pole's friends p. 358 Attaindors without hearing the Parties p. 359 The Conclusion p. 362 Addenda p. 363 A COLLECTION OF RECORDS AND Original Papers With other INSTRUMENTS Referred to in the Former History I. The Record of Card. Adrian's Oath of Fidelity to Henry the 7th for the Bishoprick of Bath and Wells HEnricus Rex c. Reverend in Christo Patri Domino Sylvestro Episcop Wigorn. venerabili viro Domino Roberto Sherbourn Ecclesiae Sancti Pauli London decano nostris in Romana curia oratoribus ac Magistro Hugoni Yowng Sacrae Theologiae Professori salutem Cum omnes singuli Archiepiscopi Episcopi hujus nostri Inclyti Regni quorum omnium nominationes promotiones ad ipsas supremas dignitates nobis attinent ex regali peculiari quadam Praerogativa jureque municipali ac inveterata consuetudine hactenus in hoc nostro Regno inconcusse inviolabiliter observata teneantur astringantur statim immediate post impetratas Bullas Apostolicas super eorundem promotione ad ipsam nostram nominationem coram nobis in praesentia nostra si in hoc Regno nostro fuerunt vel coram Commissarijs nostris ad hoc sufficienter legittime deputatis si alibi moram traxerunt non solum palam publice expresse totaliter cedere in manus nostras renunciare omnibus quibusâ—unque verbis clausulis sententiis in ipsis Bullis Apostolicis contentis descriptis quae sunt vel quovis modo in futurumesse poterunt praejudicialia sive damnosa nobis haeredibusque de
pleasure Item If the said Commissioners have but one County in charge then to certifie the said Chancellor in form aforesaid and there to remain till they know further of the King's pleasure VII Injunctions given by the Authority of the King's Highness to the Clergy of this Realm IN the Name of God Amen In the Year of our Lord God one thousand five hundred thirty six and of the most noble Reign of our Sovereign Lord Henry the Eighth King of England and France the 28 Year and the day of I Thomas Cromwel Knight Lord Cromwel Keeper of the Privy-Seal of our said Sovereign Lord the King and Vicegerent unto the same for and concerning all his Jurisdictions Ecclesiastical within the Realm visiting by the King's Highness's Supream Authority Ecclesiastical the People and Clergy of this Deanery of by my trusty Commissary lawfully deputed and constitute for this part have to the glory of Almighty God to the King's Highness's honour the publick Weal of this his Realm and encrease of Vertue in the same appointed and assigned these Injunctions ensuing to be kept and observed of the Dean Parsons Vicars Curates and Stipendaries resiant or having cure of Soul or any other Spiritual Administrations within this Deanery under the pains hereafter limited and appointed The first is That the Dean Parsons Vicars and other having cure of Soul any-where within this Deanery shall faithfully keep and observe and as far as in them may lie shall cause to be observed and kept of other all and singular Laws and Statutes of this Realm made for the abolishing and extirpation of the Bishop of Rome's pretensed and usurped Power and Jurisdiction within this Realm And for the establishment and confirmation of the King's Authority and Jurisdiction of the same as of the Supream Head of the Church of England and shall to the uttermost of their Wit Knowledg and Learning purely sincerely and without any colour or dissimulation declare manifest and open for the space of one quarter of a year next ensuing once every Sunday and after that at the least-wise twice every quarter in their Sermons and other Collations that the Bishop of Rome's usurped Power and Jurisdiction having no establishment nor ground by the Law of God was of most just causes taken away and abolished and therefore they owe unto him no manner of obedience or subjection and that the King's Power is within his Dominion the highest Power and Potentate under God to whom all Men within the same Dominions by God's Commandment owe most loyalty and obedience afore and above all other Powers and Potentates in Earth Item Whereas certain Articles were lately devised and put forth by the King's Highness's Authority and condescended upon by the Prelates and Clergy of this his Realm in Convocation whereof part are necessary to be holden and believed for our Salvation and the other part do concern and teach certain laudable Ceremonies Rites and Usages of the Church meet and convenient to be kept and used for a decent and politick order in the same the said Dean Parsons Vicars and other Curats shall so open and declare in their said Sermons and other Collations the said Articles unto them that be under their Cure that they may plainly know and discern which of them be necessary to be believed and observed for their Salvation and which be not necessary but only do concern the decent and politick order of the said Church according to such Commandment and Admonition as hath been given unto them heretofore by Authority of the King's Highness in thaâ— behalf Moreover That they shall declare unto all such as be under their Cure the Articles likewise devised put forth and authorized of late for and concerning the abrogation of certain superfluous Holy-days according to the effect and purport of the same Articles and perswade their Parishioners to keep and observe the same inviolable as things honesty provided decreed and established by common consent and publick Authority for the Weal Commodity and Profit of all this Realm Besides this to the intent that all Superstition and Hypocrisie crept into divers Mens hearts may vanish away they shall not set forth or extol any Images Reliques or Miracles for any superstition or lucre nor allure the People by any inticements to the pilgrimages of any Saint otherwise than is permitted in the Articles lately put forth by the Authority of the King's Majesty and condescended upon by the Prelates and Clergy of this his Realm in Convocation as though it were proper or peculiar to that Saint to give this Commodity or that seeing all Goodness Health and Grace ought to be both asked and looked for only of God as of the very Author of the same and of none other for without him it cannot be given But they shall exhort as well their Parishioners as other Pilgrims that they do rather apply themselves to the keeping of God's Commandments and fulfilling of his Works of Charity perswading them that they shall please God more by the true exercising of their bodily Labour Travail or Occupation and providing for their Families than if they went about to the said Pilgrimages and that it shall profit more their Souls health if they do bestow that on the Poor and Needy which they would have bestowed upon the said Images or Reliques Also in the same their Sermons and other Collations the Parsons Vicars and other Curats aforesaid shall diligently admonish the Fathers and Mothers Masters and Governors of Youth being within their Cure to teach or cause to be taught their Children and Servants even from their Infancy their Pater Noster the Articles of our Faith and the Ten Commandments in their Mother Tongue And the same so taught shall cause the said Youth oft to repeat and understand And to the intent that this may be the more easily done the said Curats shall in their Sermons deliberately and plainly recite of the said Pater Noster the Articles of our Faith and the Ten Commandments one Clause or Article one day and an other another day till those be taught and learnt by little and shall deliver the same in writing or shew where printed Books containing the same be to be sold to them that can read or will desire the same And thereto that the said Fathers and Mothers Masters and Governors do bestow their Children and Servants even from their Childhood either to Learning or some other honest Exercise Occupation or Husbandry exhorting counselling and by all the ways and means they may as well in their said Sermons and Collations as otherwise perswading the said Fathers Mothers Masters and other Governors being under their Cure and Charge diligently to provide and foresee that the said Youth be in no manner-wise kept or brought up in idleness lest at any time afterwards they be driven for lack of some Mystery or Occupation to live by to fall to begging stealing or some other unthriftiness forasmuch as we may daily see through sloth and
be called twelve Priori parti Quaestiones negative Respondent Herfordens Menevens Roffens Dayus Dunelmens Oglethorpus Thurleby Posteriori parti quod sit Doctrina conveniens respondent affirmative Eboracen Roffen Carliolen Londinen Dayus Edgworth Redmayn Symmons Curren Londinen Redmanus non respondent priori parti Quaestionis nec Oglethorpus Tresham Robinsonus Posteriori Eboracen Londin Symmons Curren volunt è Scripturis peti Doctrinam Septem Sacramentorum In the sixth touching the determinate number of the seven Sacraments the Bishop of Duresme Hereford St. David and Rochester the Elect of Westminster Dr. Day and Dr. Oglethorpe say This prescribed number of Sacraments is not found in the old Authors The Bishop of York Drs. Curren Tresham and Symmons say the contrary Concerning the second part Whether it be a Doctrine to be taught The Bishops of Hereford St. Davids and Dr. Cox Think it ought not to be so taught as such a determinate number by Scripture The Bishops of York London Carlile Drs. Day Curren Tresham Symmons Crayford Think it a Doctrine meet to be taught And some of them say That it is founded on Scripture 7. Question What is found in Scripture of the Matter Nature Effect and Vertue of such as we call the seven Sacraments so as altho the Name be not there yet whether the thing be in Scripture or no and in what wise spoken of Answers I Find not in the Scripture the Matter Nature and Effect of all these which we call the seven Sacraments but only of certain of them as of Baptism in which we be regenerated and pardoned of our sin by the Blood of Christ Of Eucharistia in which we be concorporated unto Christ and made lively Members of his Body nourished and fed to the Everlasting Life if we receive it as we ought to do and else it is to us rather Death than Life Of Pennance also I find in the Scripture whereby Sinners after Baptism returning wholly unto God be accepted again unto God's Favour and Mercy But the Scripture speaketh not of Pennance as we call it a Sacrament consisting in three parts Contrition Confession and Satisfaction but the Scripture taketh Pennance for a pure conversion of a sinner in heart and mind from his sins unto God making no mention of private Confession of all deadly sins to a Priest nor of Ecclesiastical satisfaction to be enjoined by him Of Matrimony also I find very much in Scripture and among other things that it is a mean whereby God doth use the infirmity of our Concupiscence to the setting forth of his Glory and encrease of the World thereby sanctifying the Act of Carnal Conjunction between the Man and the Wife to that use yea altho one party be an Inâ—idel and in this Matrimony is also a Promise of Salvation if the Parents bring up their Children in the Faith Love and Fear of God Of the Matter Nature and Effect of the other three that is to say Confirmation Order and extream Vnction I read nothing in the Scripture as they be taken for Sacraments To the seventh Of Baptism we find in Scripture the Justification by the Word of Christ we find also that the Matter of Baptism is Water the Effect and Vertue is Remission of Sins Of Confirmation we find that the Apostles did confirm those that were baptized by laying their hands upon them and that the Effect then was the coming of the Holy Ghost into them upon whom the Apostles laid their hands in a visible sign of the Gift of divers Languages and therewith of ghostly strength to confess Christ following upon the same Of the Sacrament of the Altar we find the Institution by Christ and the Matter thereof Bread and Wine the Effect Increase of Grace Of the Sacrament of Pennance we find the Institution in the Gospel the Effect Reconciliation of the sinner and the union of him to the Mystical Body of Christ. Of the Sacrament of Matrimony we find the Institution both in the Old and New Testament and the Effect thereof Remedy against Concupiscence and discharge of sin which otherwise should be in the Office of Generation Of the Sacrament of Order we find that our Saviour gave to his Apostles power to baptize to bind and to loose sinners to remit sins and to receive them to teach and preach his Word and to consecrate his most precious Body and Blood which be the highest offices of Order and the effect thereof Grace we find in Scripture Of extream Vnction we find in the Epistle of the Holy Apostle St. Iames and of the Effects of the same To the seventh I find that St. Austin is of this sentence That where the Sacraments of the Old Law did promise Grace and Comfort the Sacraments of the New Law do give it indeed And moreover he saith That that the Sacraments of the New Law are factu faciliora pauciora salubriora foeliciora more easier more fewer more wholsomer and more happy The Scripture teacheth of Baptism the Sacrament of the Altar Matrimony and Pennance manifestly There be also in the Scripture manifest examples of Confirmation viz. That it was done after Baptism by the Apostles per manuum Impositionem The Scripture teacheth also of Order that it was done per manuum Impositionem cum oratione jejunio Of the Unction of sick Men the Epistle of St. Iames teacheth manifestly I think verily That of the Substance Effect and Vertue of these seven usual Sacraments that are to be taken and esteemed above others we have plainly and expresly by Holy Scripture Of Baptism That whosoever believeth in Christ and is Christned shall be saved and except that one be born again of Water and the Holy Ghost he cannot come within the Kingdom of God Of Matrimony we have in Scripture both by name and in effect in the Old and New Testament both by Christ and his Apostle Paul Of the Sacrament of the Altar I find plainly expresly both in the Holy Gospels and other places of Scripture Of Pennance in like manner Of Confirmation we have in Scripture that when the Samaritans by the preaching of Philip had received the Word of God and were Christened the Apostles hearing of the same sent Peter and Iohn unto them who when they came thither they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost then they laid their hands upon them and so they received the Holy Ghost This saith Bede is the Office and Duty only of Bishops And this manner and form saith St. Hierom as it is written in the Acts the Church hath kept That the Bishop should go abroad to call for the Grace of the Holy Ghost and lay his hands upon them who had been Christened by Priests and Deacons Of the Sacrament of Orders we have That Christ made his Apostles the Teachers of his Law and Ministers of his Sacraments that they should duly do it and make and ordain others likewise to do it
of Bread and Wine The Tenth The Church of Christ hath doth and may lawfully order some Priests to be Ministers of the Sacraments altho the same do not preach nor be not admitted thereunto The Eleventh Priests being once dedicated unto God by the Order of Priesthood and all such Men and Women as have advisedly made Vows unto God of Chastity or Widowhood may not lawfully marry after their said Orders received or Vows made The Twelfth Secret auricular Confession is expedient and necessary to be retained continued and frequented in the Church of Christ. The Thirteenth The Prescience and Predestination of Almighty God altho in it self it be infallible induceth no necessity to the Action of Man but that he may freely use the power of his own will or choice the said Prescience or Predestination notwithstanding I Nicholas Shaxton with my Heart do believe and with my Mouth do confess all these Articles above-written to be true in every part Ne despicias hominem avertentem se a peccato neque improperes ei memento quoniam omnes in corruptione sumus Eccles. 8. XXX A Letter written by Lethington the Secretary of Scotland to Sir William Cecil the Queen of England's Secretary touching the Title of the Queen of Scots to the Crown of England By which it appears that K. Henry's Will was not signed by him I Cannot be ignorant that some do object as to her Majesties Forreign Birth and hereby think to make her incapable of the Inheritance of England To that you know for answer what may be said by an English Patron of my Mistriss's Cause although I being a Scot will not affirm the same that there ariseth amongst you a Question Whether the Realm of Scotland be forth of the Homage and Leageance of England And therefore you have in sundry Proclamations preceding your Warsmaking and in sundry Books at sundry times laboured much to prove the Homage and Fealty of Scotland to England Your Stories also be not void of this intent What the judgment of the Fathers of your Law is and what commonly is thought in this Matter you know better than I and may have better intelligence than I the Argument being fitter for your Assertion than mine Another Question there is also upon this Objection of Forreign Birth that is to say Whether Princes inheritable to the Crown be in case of the Crown exempted or concluded as private Persons being Strangers born forth of the Allegiance of England You know in this case as divers others the State of the Crown the Persons inheritable to the Crown at the time of their Capacity have divers differences and prerogatives from other Persons many Laws made for other Persons take no hold in case of the Prince and they have such Priviledges as other Persons enjoy not As in cases of Attainders and other Penal Laws Examples Hen. 7. who being a Subject was attainted and Ed. 4. and his Father Richard Plantagenet were both attainted all which notwithstanding their Attainders had right to the Crown and two of them attained the same Amongst many Reasons to be shewed both for the differences and that Forreign Birth doth not take place in the case of the Crown as in common Persons the many experiences before the Conquest and since of your King 's do plainly testify 2. Of purpose I will name unto you Hen. 2d Maud the Empress Son and Richard of Bourdeaux the Black Princes Son the rather for that neither of the two was the King of England's Son and so not Enfant du Roy if the word be taken in this strict signification And for the better proof that it was always the common Law of your Realm that in the case of the Crown Forreign Birth was no Bar you do remember the words of the Stat. 25. Ed. 3. where it is said the Law was ever so Whereupon if you can remember it you and I fell out at a reasoning in my Lord of Leicester's Chamber by the occasion of the Abridgment of Rastal wherein I did shew you somewhat to this purpose also these words Infant and Ancestors be in Praedicamento ad aliquid and so Correlatives in such sort as the meaning of the Law was not to restrain the understanding of this word Infant so strict as only to the Children of the King's Body but to others inheritable in remainder and if some Sophisters will needs cavil about the precise understanding of Infant let them be answered with the scope of this word Ancestors in all Provisions for Filii Nepotes and Liberi you may see there was no difference betwixt the first degree and these that come after by the Civil Law Liberorum appellatione comprehenduntur non solum Filii verum etiam Nepotes Pronepotes Abnepotes c. If you examine the Reason why Forreign Birth is excluded you may see that it was not so needful in Princes Cases as in common Persons Moreover I know that England hath oftentimes married with Daughters and married with the greatest Forreign Princes of Europe And so I do also understand that they all did repute the Children of them and of the Daughters of England inheritable in succession to that Crown notwithstanding the Forreign Birth of their Issue And in this case I do appeal to all Chronicles to their Contracts of Marriages and to the opinion of all the Princes of Christendom For tho England be a noble and puissant Country the respect of the Alliance only and the Dowry hath not moved the great Princes to match so often in marriage but the possibility of the Crown in succession I cannot be ignorant altogether in this Matter considering that I serve my Sovereign in the room that you serve yours The Contract of Marriage is extant betwixt the King my Mistris's Grandfather and Queen Margaret Daughter to King Henry the 7 th by whose Person the Title is devolved on my Sovereign what her Fathers meaning was in bestowing of her the World knoweth by that which is contained in the Chronicles written by Polidorus Virgilius before as I think either you or I was born at least when it was little thought that this Matter should come in question There is another Exception also laid against my Soveraign which seems at the first to be of some weight grounded upon some Statutes made in King Hen. 8. time viz. of the 28 th 35 th of his Reign whereby full power and authority was given him the said King Henry to give dispose appoint assign declare and limit by his Letters Patents under his Great Seal or else by his last Will made in writing and signed with his hand at his pleasure from time to time thereafter the Imperial Crown of that Realm c. Which Imperial Crown is by some alledged and constantly affirmed to have been limited and disposed by the last Will and Testament of the said King Hen. 8. signed with his hand before his death unto the Children of the Lady Francis and Elenor Daughter to
correspondence with the King fell to the ground with her but he may well cite Cochleus an Author of the same honesty with himself from whose writings we may with the like security make a judgment of Forreign Matters as we may upon Sanders's testimony believe the account he gives of English Affairs 90. He tells us among other things done by the King and picks it out as the only instance he mentions of the King's Injunctions that the People should be taught in Churches the Lord's Prayer the Ave the Creed and the Ten Commandments in English It seems this Author thought the giving these Elements of Religion to the People in the vulgar Tongue a very heinous Crime when this is singled out from all the rest 91. That being done he says there was next a Book published called Articles appointed by the King's Majesty which were the six Articles This shews that he either had no information of English Affairs or was sleeping when he wrote this for the Six Articles were not published soon after the Injunctions as he makes it by the same Parliament and Convocation but three years after by another Parliament They were never put in a Book nor published in the King's Name they were Enacted in Parliament and are neither more nor less than 25 lines in the first Impression of that Act so far short come they of a Book 92. He reckons up very defectively the differences between the Church of Rome and the Doctrine set forth by the King's Authority but in one point he shews his ordinary wit for in the sixth particular he says He retained the Sacrament of Order but appointed a new Form of Consecrating of Bishops This he put in out of malice that he might annul the Ordinations of that time but the thing is false for except that the Bishops instead of their Oaths of Obedience to the Pope which they formerly swore did not swear to the King there was no other change made and that to be sure is no part of the Form of Consecration 93. He resolved once to speak what he thought was Truth tho it be treasonable and impious and says Upon these changes many in Lincolnshire and the Northern parts did rise for Religion and the Faith of Christ. This was indeed the motive by which their Seditious Priests misled them yet he is mistaken in the time for it was not after the six Articles were published but almost three years before it Nor was it for the Faith of Christ which teaches us to be humble subject and obedient but because the King was removing some of the corruptions of that Faith which their false Teachers did impiously call the Faith of Christ. 94. He says The King did promise most faithfully that all these things of which they complained should be amended This is so evidently false that it is plain Sanders resolved dextrously to avoid the speaking of any sort of Truth for the King did fully and formally tell them he would not be directed nor counselled by them in these Points they complained of and did only offer them an Amnesty for what was past 95. Then he reckons up 32 that died for the defence of the Faith They were attainted of Treason for being in actual Rebellion against the King and thus it appears that Rebellion was the Faith in his sense and himself died for it or rather in it having been starved to death in a Wood to which he fled after one of his rebellious Attempts on his Soveraign in which he was the Pope's Nuncio 96. He says The King killed the Earl of Kildare and five of his Uncles By this strange way of expressing a legal Attainder and the execution of a Sentence for manifest Treason and Rebellion he would insinuate on the Reader a fancy that one of Bonner's cruel fits had taken the King and that he had killed those with his own hand The Lord Herbert has fully opened that part of the History from the Records that he saw and shews that a more resolved Rebellion could not be than that was of which the Earl of Kildare and his Uncles were guilty But because they sent to the Pope and Emperor for assistance the Earl desiring to hold the Kingdom of Ireland of the Pope since the King by his Heresie had fallen from his Right to it Sanders must needs have a great kindness for their memory who thus suffered for his Faith 97. He says Queen Iane Seimour being in hard labour of Prince Edward the King ordered her Body to be so opened by Surgeons that she died soon after All this is false for she had a good Delivery as many Original Letters written by her Council that have been since printed do shew but she died two days after of a distemper incident to her Sex 98. He sets down some Passages of Cardinal Pole's Heroical Constancy which being proved by no Evidence and not being told by any other Writer whom I ever saw are to be lookt on as the flourishes of the Poet to set off his Hero 99. He would perswade the World that the Marquess of Exceter the Lord Montacute and the rest that suffered at that time died because they were believed to dislike the King 's wicked Proceedings and that the Countess of Sarum was beheaded on this single account that she was the Mother of such a Son and was sincerely addicted to the Catholick Faith and that she was condemned because she wrote to her Son and for wearing in her Breast the Picture of the five Wounds of Christ. The Marquess of Exceter pretended he was well satisfied with the King's Proceedings and was Lord Stewart when the Lords Darcy and Hussie were tried and he gave judgment against them But it being discovered that he and other Persons approved of Cardinal Pole's proceedings who endeavoured to engage all Christian Princes in a League against the King pursuant to which they had expressed themselves on several occasions resolved when a fit opportunity offered it self to rebel it was no wonder if the King proceeded against them according to Law And for the Countess of Sarum tho the legality of that Sentence passed against her cannot be defended yet she had given great offence not only by her correspondence with her Son but by the Bulls she had received from Rome and by her opposing the King's Injunctions hindring all her Tenants to read the New Testament or any other Books set out by the King's order And for the Picture which was found among her Cloaths it having been the Standard of the Rebellion and the Arms of England being found on the other side of it there was just ground to suspect an ill design in it 100. He says The Images which the King destroyed were by many wonderful Works of God recommended to the Devotion of the Nation All the wonder in these Works was the knavery of some jugling Impostors and the simplicity of a credulous multitude of
are only due unto God trusting to attain at their hands that which must be had only of God but that they be thus to be honoured because they be known the Elect persons of Christ because they be passed in Godly Life out of this transitory World because they already do Reign in Glory with Christ and most specially to laude and praise Christ in them for their excellent vertues which he planted in them for example of and by them to such as are yet in this World to live in vertue and goodness and also not to fear to dye for Christ and his cause as some of them did and finally to take them in that they may to be the advancers of our prayers and demands unto Christ. By these ways and such like be Saints to be honoured and had in reverence and by none other Of Praying to Saints AS touching Praying to Saints We will that all Bishops and Preachers shall instruct and teach our people committed by us unto their spiritual charge that albeit grace remission of sin and Salvation cannot be obtained but of God only by the mediation of our Saviour Christ which is only sufficient mediator for our sins yet it is very laudable to pray to Saints in Heaven everlastingly living whose charity is ever permanent to be intercessors and to pray for us and with us unto Almighty God after this manner All holy Angels and Saints in Heaven pray for us and with us unto the Father that for his dear Son Jesus Christ's sake we may have grace of him and remission of our sins with an earnest purpose not wanting Ghostly strength to observe and keep his holy Commandments and never to decline from the same again unto our lives end And in this manner we may pray to our Blessed Lady to St. Iohn Baptist to all and every of the Apostles or any other Saint particularly as our devotion doth serve us so that it be done without any vain superstition as to think that any Saint is more merciful or will hear us sooner than Christ or that any Saint doth serve for one thing more than another or is Patron of the same And likewise we must keep Holy-days unto God in memory of him and his Saints upon such days as the Church hath Ordained their memories to be celebrated except they be mitigated and moderated by the assent or commandment of the Supream head to the Ordinaries and then the Subjects ought to obey it Of Rites and Ceremonies AS concerning the Rites and Ceremonies of Christs Church as to have such vestments in doing God service as be and have been most part used as Sprinkling of holy-Water to put us in remembrance of our Baptism and the blood of Christ sprinkled for our redemption upon the Cross Giving of holy bread to put us in remembrance of the Sacrament of the Altar that all Christen men be one body mystical of Christ as the bread is made of many grains and yet but one Loaf and to put us in remembrance of the receiving the holy Sacrament and body of Christ the which we ought to receive in right Charity which in the beginning of Christs Church men did more often receive than they use now adays to do Bearing of Candles on Candlemas-day in memory of Christ the spiritual light of whom Simeon did prophesie as is read in the Church that day Giving of ashes on Ash-Wedensday to put in remembrance every Christen man in the beginning of Lent and Penance that he is but ashes and earth and thereto shall return which is right necessary to be uttered from henceforth in our mother-tongue always on the same day Bearing of Palms on Palm-Sunday in memory of receiving of Christ into Ierusalem a little before his death that we may have the same desire to receive him into our hearts Creeping to the Cross and humbling our selves to Christ on Good-Friday before the Cross and offering there unto Christ before the same and kissing of it in memory of our Redemption by Christ made upon the Cross Setting up the Sepulture of Christ whose body after his death was buried the Hallowing of the Font and other like Exorcisms and Benedictions by the Ministers of Christs Church and all other like laudable Customs Rites and Ceremonies be not to be contemned and cast away but to be used and continued as things good and laudable to put us in remembrance of those spiritual things that they do signifie not suffering them to be forgotten or to be put in oblivion but renuing them in our memories from time to time but none of these Ceremonies have Power to remit sin but only to stir and lift up our minds unto God by whom only our sins be forgiven Of Purgatory FOrasmuch as due order of Charity requireth and the book of Maccabees and divers ancient Doctors plainly shewing that it is a very good and charitable deed to pray for Souls departed and forasmuch also as such usage hath continued in the Church so many years even from the beginning We will that all Bishops and Preachers shall instruct and teach our people committed by us unto their spiritual charge that no man ought to be grieved with the continuance of the same and that it standeth with the very due Order of Charity for a Christen man to pray for Souls departed and to commit them in our prayers to Gods mercy and also to cause others to pray for them in Masses and Exequies and to give Alms to others to pray for them whereby they may be relieved and holpen of some part of their pain But forasmuch as the place where they be the name thereof and kind of pains there also be to us uncertain by Scripture therefore this with all other things we remit to God Almighty unto whose mercy it is meet and convenient for us to commend them trusting that God accepteth our prayers for them referring the rest wholly to God to whom is known their estate and condition wherefore it is much necessary that such Abuses be clearly put away which under the name of Purgatory hath been advanced as to make men believe that through the Bishop of Romes Pardon Souls might clearly be delivered out of Purgatory and all the pains of it or that Masses said at Scala caeli or otherwhere in any place or before any Image might likewise deliver them from all their pain and send them streight to Heaven and other like Abuses Signed Thomas Cromwell T. Cantuarien Edwardus Ebor. Ioannes London Cuthbertus Dunelmen Ioannes Lincoln Ioannes Lincoln Nomine procuratorio pro Dom. Ioan. Exon. Hugo Wygornen Ioannes Roffen Richardus Cicestren Ioannes Bathonien Thomas Elien Ioannes Lincoln nomine procuratorio pro Dom. Rowlando Coven Lichfielden Ioannes Bangoren Nicholaus Sarisburien Edwardus Hereforden Willielmus Norwicen Willielmus Meneven Robertus Assaven Robertus Abbas Sancti Albani Willielmus Ab. Westmonaster Ioannes Ab. Burien A Richardus Ab. Glasconiae A Hugo Ab. Redying Robertus Ab. Malmesbur Clemens Ab. Eveshamen
Iohannes Ab. de Bello Willielmus Ab. S. Petri Glocest. Richardus Ab. Winchelcombens Ioannes Ab. de Croyland Robertus Ab. de Thorney Robertus Ab. de Waltham Ioannes Ab. Cirencest Ioannes Ab. Teuxburen Thomas Prior Coventr Ioannes Ab. de Osney B Henricus Ab. de Anthonius Ab. de Eyntham Robertus Prior Elien Robertus Magister ordinis de Semper-ingham Richardus Ab. de Notley Hugo Prior de Huntingtoun Willielmus Ab. de Stratford Gabriel Ab. de Buckfestia Henricus Ab. de Wardenor Ioannes Prior de Merton Richardus Pr. de Walsingham B Thomas Ab. de Thomas Ab. de Stanley Richardus Ab. de Bytlesden Richardus Pr. de Lanthony Robertus Ab. de Thame B Ioannes Prior de Radulphus Prior de Kymme B Richardus Ab. de Robertus Ab. de Welhows Bartholamaus Pr. de Overhey Willielmus Pr. de Burgaveny Thomas Ab. de Abendon Inferior Domus C R. Gwent Archidiaconus London Breck Robertus Alridge Archid. Colecestr Thomas Bedyl Archid. Cornub. Richardus Street Archid. Derbiae David Pole Ar. Salop. Procurator Archid. Cleri Covent Lichfield Richardus Doke Archid. Sarum Edmundus Bonner Archid. Leycestriae Thomas Baghe Archid. Surr. Richardus Rawson Archid. Essex Edmundus Cranmer Archid. Cant. Polidorus Virgilius Archid. Wellen. Richardus Coren Archid. Oxon. Henricus Morgan Procurator cleri Lincoln Petrus Vannes Archid. Wygornen Georgius Hennage Decanus Lincoln Nilo Spencer Procurator Cleri Norwicen Guilielmus Knight Archid. Cestriae GamalielClyfton Decanus Hereford Proc. Capit. Ioannes London Decanus Wallingford Richardus Layton Archid. Bucks Hugo Coren Proâ— Cleri Hereford Richardus Sparaheford Proc. Cleri Hereford Mauritius Griffith Proc. Cleri Roffen Gulielmus Buckmastr Procurator Cleri London Richardus Shelton Mag. Colleg. de Melyngham Per me Willielmum Glyn. Archi. An-glessen Robertus Evans Decan Bangoren Walterus Cretying Ar. Bathonien Thomas Bagard Procurator Cleri Wygornen Ioannes Nase Proc. Cleri Bathon Wellen. Georgius Wyndham Archid Norwicen Nicolaus Metcalfe Archid. Roffen Gulielmus Hedge Procurator Cleri Norwicen Adam Traves Archid. Exon. Ricardus Woleman Dec. Wellen. Tho. Brerewood Archidiacan Har. Procur Capituli Cleri Exon. Georgius Carew Archid. Totten Proc. Capituli Cleri Exon. Thomas Bennet Psoc Cleri Capit Sarum Richardus Arch Proc. Cleri Capit Sarum Petrus Lighman Proc. Cleri Cant. Edmundus Stewart Proc. Cleri Winton Ioannes Rayne Proc. Cleri Lincoln Leonardus Samill Proc. Cleri Archid Lewen Simon Matthew Proc. Cleri London Linfrid Ogle Archid Salop. Gulielmus Maye Proc. Cleri Elien Rol. Philips Proc. Eccles. St. Pauli London Ioannes Bell Ar. Glocest. Ioannes Chambers Dec. St. Stephani Archid Bedford Nicolaus Wilson Some Observations on the former Subscriptions A The Abbots of Glossenbury and Reading Subscribe with the rest by which it appears that they complyed in the changes that were made as readily as others did B The Abbots writ generally so ill that it is very hard to read their Subscriptions Some of them I could by no means know what to make of C There are of 50 of the lower house of Convocation of those there are 25 Archdeacons 4 Deans of Cathedrals 3 Deans of Collegial Churches 17 Procurators for the Clergy and one Master of a Colledge II. Some Queries put by Cranmer in Order to the Correcting of several Abuses FIrst What causes reasons or considerations hath or might move any man to desire to have the Bishop of Rome restored in any point to his pretended Monarchy or to repugn against the Laws and Statutes of this Realm made for the setting forth of the Kings Title of Supream Head Item Whether a man offending-deadly after he is Baptized may obtain remission of his Sins by any other way than by Contrition through grace Item If the Clergy know that the common sort of men have them in a higher estimation because they are perswaded that it lyeth in the will and Power of Priests to remit or not remit sins at their pleasure whether in such case the said Clergy offend if they wink at this and voluntarily suffer the people to continue in this Opinion Item Whether a sinner being sorry and contrite for his sins and forthwith dying shall have as high a place in Heaven as if he had never offended Item Whether any and what difference may be Assigned betwixt two men whereof the one being very sorry and contrite for his sins dieth without Absolution of the Priest and the other which being contrite is also absolved by the Priest and so dieth Item If it may appear that the common people have a greater affiance or trust in outward Rites or Ceremonies than they ought to have and that they esteem more vertue in Images and adorning of them kissing their feet or offering Candles unto them than they should esteem and that yet the Curates knowing the same and fearing the loss of their offerings and such other temporal commodities do rather encourage the people to continue after this sort than teach them the truth in the premisses according to Scripture what the Kings Highness and his Parliament may do and what they are bound in conscience to do in such case Item Whether now in time of the new Law the Tithes or tenth be due to Curates by the Laws of God or of man and if the same be due by the Laws of man what mans Laws they be Item Whether the Clergy only and none but they ought to have voices in general Councils Item Whether the 19th Canon in the Council of Calcedon wherein is contained that one Clerk may not sue an other before any secular Judge but only before his Bishop and such other Canons of like effect have been generally received or not and whether the same be contrary to the Kings Prerogative and Laws of this Realm and whether it be expedient that it were declared by the Parliament that the said Canons being at no time received especially within this Realm be void and of none effect Item Of the 24th Canon of the said Council wherein is contained that Monasteries once consecrate by the Bishop may not after be made dwelling houses for Say-men whether that Canon have been received and observed and whether the same be against the Power of the King and Authority of his Parliament Item If it may appear that the Bishops have not ne yet do maturely examine and diligently inquire of the Conversation and Learning of such as be ordered or admitted to Cures by them but rather without examination or inquisition indistinctly admit persons unable whereof ensueth great peril of Souls and innumerable inconveniences otherways what the Kings Highness or his Parliament ought to do or may do for reformation in the premisses Item If such as have Deanries Arch-Deaconries Chanterships and other Offices or promotions of the Clergy use not themselves in their own persons after such sort as the primary institution of these Offices or Promotions require and according to the Wills of them that endowed the same what the King and his Parliament may do
or ought to do in this case Item For what causes and to what ends and purposes such Offices and promotions of the Clergy were first instituted Item If Curates having Benefices with cure for their more bodily ease refuge to dwell upon any of their said Cures and remain in idleness continually in Cathedral or Collegial Churches upon their Prebends whether it be in this case expedient that the Kings Highness or his Parliament take any Order for the redress of the same Item Of the Sacraments of Confirmation Order Matrimony and extream Unction what the external signs and inward graces be in every of the said Sacraments what promises be made to the receivors of them by God and of what efficacy they be of and energy of themselves III. Some Queries concerning Confirmation with the answers which were given to them by Cranmer and Stokesley Bishop of London AN ORIGINAL WHether Confirmation be Instituted by Christ Respon There is no place in Scripture that declareth this Sacrament to be instituted of Christ. First For the places alledged for the same be no Institutions but Acts and deeds of the Apostles Secondly These Acts were done by a special gift given to the Apostles for the confirmation of Gods Word at that time Thirdly The said special gift doth not now remain with the Successors of the Apostles What is the External Sign The Church useth Chrisma for the exterior sign but the Scriptur maketh no mention thereof What is the Efficacy of this Sacramint The Bishop in the name of the Church doth invocate the Holy Ghost to give strength and constancy with other spiritual gifts unto the person confirmed so that the efficacy of this Sacrament is of such value as is the Prayer of the Bishop made in the name of the Church Haec respondeo salvo semper eruditiorum Ecclesiae ortho doxae judicio Stokesley's Paper The first Question Whether the Sacrament of Confirmation be a Sacrament of the New Testament institute by Christ To this I answer That it is The second Question What is the outward sign and the invisible graces which be conferaed in the same To this I Answer That the Words Signo te Signo Sanctae crucis confirmo te c. With the consignation with the Creame imposition of hands of the Prelates be the Signs and the increase of the gifts of the Holy Ghost and especially of fortitude to speak shew and defend the Faith and to suffer for the same in case need be The third Question What promises be made of the said graces I Answer That the facts and deeds that be expressed in the Books of the Apostles with the effects ensuing by the imposition of their hands upon them that before had received Remission of their sins joyned with the promises of Christ made to his Church and the continual belief of the university of the same Catholick Church from the time of the Apostles hitherto without contradiction of any man ignorants and suspects of Heresie only excepted maketh us and in my opinion without prejudice of other mens opinions ought to suffice to make all men that hath promised to believe the Catholick Church assuredly to think that God hath made the promises of the said grace Ego Joannes London sic respondeo fretus autoritate Testimonio antiquissimorum eorumque Doctissimorum pariter ac Sanctissimorum virorum praecipue Sanctae matris nostrae Ecclesiae Catholicae cui etiam in non expressis in sacra Scriptura non multo minus quam scriptis fides adhibenda est nisi tam de baptismo parvulorum quam de perpetua Deiparae virginis integritate id genus compluribus quibus sine salutis periculo nemo discrepat licebit salva fide contradicere IV. Some Considerations offered to the King by Cranmer to Induce him to proceed to a further Reformation PLeaseth it your Highness graciously to consider deeply to ponder and weigh by your high wisdom these Considerations following First How no great thing is to be determined principally matters of Christs Religion without long great and mature deliberation Secondly How evil it hath succeeded when in Provincial yea or yet in General Councils men have gone about to set forth any thing as in the force of Gods Law without the manifest Word of God or else without apparent reasons infallibly deduced out of the Word of God Thirdly How all Christened Regions are now full of Learned men in the Scripture which can well espie out and judge how things that be or shall be set forth are agreeable with Scripture or not Fourthly Of what Audacity men be of now adays which will not spare to write against high Princes as well as against private persons without any respect to their high Estates only weighing the equity or the iniquity of the cause Fifthly How not only men of the New Learning as they be called but also the very Papistical Authors do allow that by the Word of God Priests be not forbidden to Marry although they were not ignorant that many expounders of Scripture were of the contrary judgment Sixthly How that it is not possible that all Learned men should be of one mind sentence and opinion as long as the cockle is mingled with the wheat the Godly with the ungodly which certainly shall be as long as the World endureth Seventhly How variety of Opinions have been occasion of the opening of many verities heretofore taken for Heresie yea and yet so esteemed and taken of many in other Regions as namely the usurped Authority of the Bishop of Rome hath by that occasion come into Light with the effusion of the blood not of a few such as were the first stirrers up thereof Lastly There be also other opinions not spoken of which have made and yet will make as much variance in your Graces Realm as any of them treated of namely Whether the Holy Scripture teacheth any Purgatory to us after this Life or not whether the same Scripture teacheth the Invocation of dead Saints Whether there be any unwritten verities necessary to be believed not written in Scripture nor deducted by infallible Arguments out of the open places of Scripture Whether there be any satisfactions beside the satisfaction of Christ Whether free will by its own strength may dispose it self to grace of a conveniency as it is said de congruo Whether it be against Scripture to kiss the Image of Christ in the Honour of him And generally whether Images may be used any other way than your Grace setteth forth in your Injunctions Wherefore in consideration of the premisses it may please your Highness to suspend your judgment for a time and not to determine the Marriage of Priests to be against Scripture but rather to put both parts to silence commanding them neither to preach dispute nor openly to talk thereof under pain of c. And in case these premisses do not move your Highness to stay that then it may please the same to
Sacraments may in no wise be suffered to perish or to be abolished according to the saying of St. Paul Quomodo credent in eum de quo non audiâ—runt quomodo autem audient sine praedicante quomodo autem praedicabunt nisi missi fuerunt sicut scriptum est quam speciosâ— super montes pedes Evangelizantium pacem annunciantium bona Thirdly because the said Power and Office or Function hath annexed unto it assured promises of excellent and inestimable things for thereby is conferred and given the Holy Ghost with all his graces and finally our justification and everlasting life according to the saying of St. Paul Non me pâ—det Evangelii Iesu Christi potentia siquidem est Dei ad salutem omni credenti that is to say I am not ashamed of the room and Office which I have given unto me by Christ to preach his Gospel for it is the Power of God that is to say the elect Organ or instrument ordained by God and endued with such vertue and efficacy that it is able to give and Minister effectually everlasting Life unto all those that will believe and obey unto the same Item That this Office this Power and Authority was committed and given by Christ and his Apostles unto certain persons only that is to say unto Priests or Bishops whom they did elect call and admit thereunto by their Prayer and Imposition of their hands Secondly We will that all Bishops and Preachers shall instruct and teach our people committed unto their Spiritual charge that the Sacrament of Order may worthily be called a Sacrament because it is a holy Rite or ceremony instituted by Christ and his Apostles in the New Testament and doth consist of two parts like as the other Sacraments of the Church do that is to say of a spiritual and an invisible grace and also of an outward and a visible Sign The invisible gift or grace conferred in this Sacrament is nothing else but the Power the Office and the Authority before mentioned the visible and outward Sign is the Prayer and Imposition of the Bishops hands upon the person which receiveth the said gift or grace And to the intent the Church of Christ should never be destituted of such Ministers as should have and execute the said power of the keys it was also Ordained and commanded by the Apostles that the same Sacrament should be applyed and ministred by the Bishop from time to time unto such other persons as had the qualities which the Apostles very diligently descryve as it appeareth evidently in the third Chap. of the first Epistle of St. Paul to Tim. and his Epistle unto Titus And surely this is the whole vertue and efficacy and the cause also of the institution of this Sacrament as it is found in the New Testament for albeit the Holy Fathers of the Church which succeeded the Apostles minding to beautifie and ornate the Church of Christ with all those things which were commendable in the Temple of the Iews did devise not only certain other ceremonies than be before rehearsed as Tonsures Rasures Unctions and such other observances to be used in the administration of the said Sacraments but did also institute certain inferiour orders or degreâ—s as Ianitors Lectors Exorcists Acolits and Subdeacons and deputed to every one of those certain Offices to Execute in the Church wherein they followed undoubtedly the example and rites used in the Old Testament yet the truth is that in the New Testament there is no mention made of any degrees or distinctions in Orders but only of Deacons or Ministers and of Priests or Bishops nor there is any word spoken of any other ceremony used in the conferring of this Sacrament but only of Prayer and the Imposition of the Bishops hands Thomas Cromwell T. Cantuarien Edwardus Ebor. Ioannes London Cuthbertus Dunelmensis Ioannes Lincoln Ioannes Bathoniens Thomas Elien Ioannes Bangor Nicolaus Sarum Edwardus Hereforden Hugo Wygorn Ioannes Roffen Rich. Cicestr Richardus Wolman Ioannes Bell. Willielmus Clyffe Robertus Aldridge Gilfridus Downes Ioannes Skip Cuthbertus Marshall Marmaduke Waldeby Robertus Oking Nicolaus Heyth Rodolphus Bradford Richardus Smith Simon Matthew Ioannes Prynn Gulielmus Buckmastre Willielmus Maye Nicolaus Wotton Ricardus Cox Ioannes Redman Thomas Robertson Thomas Baret Ioannes Nase Ioannes Barbar Some other hands there are that cannot be Read Sacrae Theologiae Iuris Ecclesiastici Civilis Professores VI. A Letter of Melanthons to perswade the King to a further Reformation An Original S. D. Serenissime Inclyte Rex Etsi audieramus Romanum Episcopum omnibus artificiis incendere Caesaris Caroli Regis Gallici animos adversus Britannos Germanos tamen quia spero Deum haec pericula gubernaturum esse defensurum tranquillitatem tuam scripsi in alteris literis de Ecclesiarum emendatione quam si tempora sinent rogo ut Regia Majestas tua suscipiat Postea adjeci hanc Epistolam non impudentia sed optimo studio amore cum Ecclesiarum cum Regiae Majestatis tuae incitatus quare per Christum obtestor Regiam Majestatem tuam ut meam libertatem boni consulat Saepe cogito Britannicae Ecclesiae primordia caeteras laudes hinc enim propagata est doctrina Christiana in magnam Germaniae Galliae partem imo Britannicae Ecclesiae beneficium fuit quod primum Romanae Provinciae liberatae sunt persecutione Haec primum nobis Imperatorem pium Constantinum dedit magna haec gloria est vestri nominis Nunc quoque Regia Majestas tua primum heroica magnitudine animi ostendit se veritati patrocinaturum esse excussit Romani Episcopi tyrannidem quare veterem puritatem Ecclesiae vestrae maxime optarim restitui integram Sed animadverto istic esse quosdam qui veteres abusus ortos aut confirmatos a Romano Episcopo adhuc mordicus tenent Mirum est autem Autore abusuum ejecto ipsa tamen venena retineri qua in re illud etiam periculi est quod illi ipsi aut eorum imitatores aliquando revocaturi potestatem Romani Episcopi videntur si populus hunc putavit esse Magistrum Ecclesiarum incurrunt enim ritus in oculos admonent de autore ut Solonis memoria cum legibus Athenis propagata jucunda fuit Gaudebam igitur in Edicto recens istic proposito de Religione promitti publicam deliberationem emendationem de Ecclesiarum ritibus legibus eaque sententia mitigavit Decreti acerbitatem quanquam enim laudo pietatem quod errores prohibentur qui pugnant cum doctrina Catholicae Ecclesiae quam nos profitemur tamen doleo ad eas causas adjectum esse articulum in quo praecipitur omnium rituum usitatorum caelibatus observatio Primum enim multi transferent Edicti Autoritatem ad stabiliendos abusus Missae Deinde in universum confirmatur pertinacia eorum qui Doctrinae nostrae sunt iniquiores debilitantur studia piorum Augustinus
well And whereas for the Vertue Learning and good Qualities which we saw and perceived heretofore in you judging you thereby a Personage that would sincerely devoutly purely and plainly set forth the Word of God and instruct our People in the truth of the same after a simple and plain sort for their better instruction unity quiet and agreement in the points thereof we advanced you to the room and office of a Bishop within this our Realm and so endowed you with great Revenues and Possessions perceiving after by the contrariety of preaching within this our Realm our said People were brought into a diversity of Opinion whereby there ensued contention amongst them which was only engendred by a certain contemptuous manner of speaking against honest laudable and tolerable Ceremonies Usages and Customs of the Church we were enforced by our sundry Letters to admonish and command you amongst others to preach God's Word sincerely to declare abuses plainly and in no wise contentiously to treat of matters indifferent which be neither necessary to our Salvation as the good and vertuous Ceremonies of Holy Church ne yet to be in any wise contemned and abrogated for that they be incitements and motions to Vertue and allurements to Devotion all which our travail notwithstanding so little regard was by some taken and adhibited to our advertisements therein that we were constrained to put our own Pen to the Book and to conceive certain Articles which were by all you the Bishops and whole Clergy of this our Realm in Convocation agreed on as Catholick meet and necessary to be by our Authority for avoiding of all contention set forth read and taught to our Subjects to bring the same in unity quietness and good concord supposing then that no Person having Authority under us would either have presumed to have spoken any word that might have offended the sentence and meaning of the same or have been any thing remiss slack or negligent in the plain setting forth of them as they be conceived so as by that mean of abstinence such quiet and unity should not grow thereupon as we desired and looked for of the same and perceiving eft-soons by credible report that our labours travail and desire therein is nevertheless defeated and in manner by general and contemptuous words spoken by sundry light and seditious Persons contemned and despised so that by the abstinence of direct and plain setting-forth of the said Articles and by the fond and contentious manner of speaking that the said light Personages do still use against the honest Rites Customs Usages and ceremonial Things of the Church our People be much more offended than they were before and in a manner exclaim that we will suffer that injury at any Man's hand whereby they think both God us and our whole Realm highly offended insomuch that principally upon that ground and for the Reformation of those Follies and Abuses they have made this commotion and insurrection and have thereby grievously offended us dammaged themselves and troubled many of our good Subjects We be now enforced for our discharge towards God and for the tender love and zeal we bear unto the tranquillity and loving unity of our said People and Subjects again to readdress these our Letters to all the Bishops of our Realm and amongst other unto you as a peremptory warning to admonish you to demean and use your self for the redobbying of these things as shall be hereafter declared upon pain of deprivation from the Bishoprick and further to be punished for your contempt if you shall offend in the contrary as Justice shall require for your own Trespass And first we straitly charge and command you that plainly and distinctly without any additions ye shall every Holy day wheresoever ye shall be within your Diocess when ye may so do with your health and convenient commodity openly in your Cathedral Church or the Parish Church of the place where ye shall for time be read and declare our Articles and in no wise in the rest of your words which ye shall then speak of your self if you speak any thing utter any word that shall make the same or any word in the same doubtful to the People Secondly We will and command you That you shall in your Person travel from place to place in all your Diocess as you may with your commodity and endeavour your selves every Holy-day to make a Collation to the People and in the same to set forth plainly the Texts of Scripture that you shall treat of and with that also as well to declare the obedience due by God's Laws to their Prince and Soveraign Lord against whose commandment they ought in no wise though the same were unjust to use any violence as to commend and praise honest Ceremonies of the Church as they be to be praised in such plain and reverent sort that the People may perceive they be not contemned and yet learn how they were instituted and how they ought to be observed and esteemed using such a temperance therein as our said People be not corrupted by putting over-much affiance in them which a part should more offend than the clear silencing of the same and that our People may thereto the better know their duties to us being their King and Soveraign Lord. Thirdly We straitly charge and command you That neither in your private communications you shall use any words that may sound to the contrary of this our Commandment ne you shall keep or retain any Man of any degree that shall in his words privatly or openly directly or indirectly speak in these matters of the Ceremonies contentiously or contemptously but we will that in case ye have or shall have towards you any such Person that will not better temper his Tongue you shall as an Offender and a Seductor of our People send the same in sure custody to us and our Council to be punished as shall appertain and semblably to do with other Strangers whom ye shall hear to be notable offenders in that part Fourthly Our pleasure and commandment is That you shall on your behalf give strait commandment upon like pain of deprivation and further punishment to all Parsons Vicars Curats and Governors of Religious Houses Colledges and other places Ecclesiastical within your Diocess that they and every of them shall touching the indifferent praise of Ceremonies the avoiding of contentious and contemptous Communication concerning any of the same and the distinct and plain reading of our said Articles observe and perform in their Churches Monasteries and other Houses Ecclesiastical aforesaid the very same order that is before to you prescribed And further that you permit nor suffer any Man of what degree soever in learning Strangers or other to preach in any place within your said Diocess out of his own Church by virtue of any License by us or any other of our Ministers granted before the fifteenth day of this month neither in your presence nor elsewhere unless he be a
18. v. 16. Lev. 20.21 And in the New Mat. 14.4 1 Cor. 5. â— Lib. 4 to cont Marcionâ—â— The Authorities of Popes a ad omnes Galâ—iâ—e Episcopos b 30. Quaest. 3. cap. Pitanâ—m c De Pres. cap. cum in juventutem and Counciâ—s Can. 2. Chap. 5. 〈◊〉 61. Chap. 5. a And the Greek In 20. Levit. b Homil. 71. on 22. Mat. c Epist. ad Diodor. On Levit. 18. and 20. And the Latine Fathers a Lib. 8. Ep. 66. b Cont. Hâ—â—vidium c Cont. Faâ—st chap. 8 9 10. Quaest. 64. in Lev. Ad Bonifac Lib. 3. chap. 4. Lib. 15. de Civ Dâ—i chap. 16. And of the Modern Writers In Epist. ad Pium Fratâ—em e On 18. Lev. g Epist. ad Arch. Rotomag Epis. Sag. f Lib. 2. de Sacram. p. 2. chap. 5. Art 2. h Epist. 240. The Schoolmen 2 dâ— 2 dae Quaest. 154. art 9. In Tertiam Quaest. 54. art 3. In 4tam. dist 40. Q. 3. and 4. And Canonists Marriage compleated by Consent Violent presumptions of the Consummation of Prince Artâ—â—r's Marriage The Popes Dispensation of no force In Quodiâ— Lib. 4. Art 13. in 4 tam dist 15. Q. 3. art 2. Sâ—p Cap. Conjunctioniâ— 35. Q. 2. 3. Sup. Cap. Literas de Rest. Spons Cap. ad Audien Spousal Several Bishops refuse to submit to the Popes Decrees The Authority of Tradition The Arguments for the Marriage 1529. The Anwers made to h ese 1531. The Queen still intractable Hall A Session of Parliament Morâ— Convocation The whole Clergy sued in a Premâ—nire The Prerogative of the Kings of England in Ecclesiastical affairs The Encroachment of the Papacy Mat. Paris The Laws made against them 25 Edw. 1st repeated in the Stat. of Provisors 25. Edw. 3d. 25. Edward 3d. Statute of Provisors 27. Edward 3d. cap. 1st 38. Edward 3d. cap. 1st 3. Richard 2d cap. 3d. 12 Richard 2d cap. 15. 16. Richard 2d cap. 5. 2. Hen. 4. cap. 4. 6. Henry 4. cap. 1st 7. Hen. 4. cap. 6.8 17. Hen. 4. cap. 8. 4. Hen. 5. cap. 4. Ex MSS. D Petyt 1530. Reg. Chicâ—el Fol. 39. Collect. Numb 37. 1531. And to the King and Parliament Collect. Numb 38. Collect. Numb 39. But to no purpose Collect. Numb 40. The Clergy excuse themselves Yet they Compound And acknowledge the King Supreme Head of the Church of England Lord Heâ—bert Antiquit. Britanniae in vita Warham Printed in the Cabala The Commons desire to be included in the King's Pardon Hall Which thâ— King afterwards grants One Attainâ—â—ed for Poisoning 22. Hen. 8 Act. 16. Lord Herbert The King leaves the Queen A disorder among the Clergy of London about the Subsidy Hall The Pope falls off to the French Faction A Match projected between the Pope's Neece and the Duke of Orleance The Emperor is engaged in a War with â—he Turk 1532. The Parliament complains of the Ecclesiastical Courts Hall But reject a Bill about Wards The Commons Petition that they may be Dissolved 1532. The King's Answer An Act against Annates Collect. Numb 41. Parl. Rolls The Pope writes to the King about the Queens Appeal L. Herbert Collect. Numb 42. A Dispatch of the King to the Pope Sir Edward Karne sent to Rome His Negotiation there taken from the Original Letters Cott. lib. Viteli B. 13. The Cardinal of Ravenna corrupted by Bribes Collect. Numb 43. Collect. Numb 44. Collect. Numb 45. A Bull for erecting new Bishopricks The Pope desires the King would submit to him Collect. Numb 46. A Session of Parl. One moves for bringing the Queen to Court At which the King is offended A Subsidy is voted The King remits the Oaths which the Clergy swore to be considered by the Commons Their Oath to the Pope Their Oath to the King More laid down his Office An Enterveiw with the French King Eliot sent to Rome with Instructions Cott. Lib. Vil. B. 13. The King Married Anne Boâ—eyn Nov. 14. Cowper Holinsâ—ies and Sanders An enterview between Pope and Emperor Some overtures about the Divorce Lord Herbert 1533. A Session of Parliament An Act against Appeals to Rome 24. Hen. 8. Act 22. 1533. Warhams Death Aug. 23. The King resolves to promote Cranmer Fox Cranmers Bulls from Rome His Protestation about his Oath to the Pope Antiq. Brit. iâ— vita Cranmâ—â— 1532. New Endeavours to make the Queen submit But in vain 1533. Cranmer proceeds to a Sentence of Divorce taken from the Originals Cott. lib. Otho C. 1â— Collect. Numb 47. The Censures past at that time Cott. lib. Otho C. 10. The Pope unites himself to the French King And condemns the Kings proceedings in England Queen Elizabeth Born Sâ—p 7. An Interview between the Pope and Frâ—nch King at Marsâ—illâ—s The Pope promises to give Sentence for the King of England's Divorce Fidel. serv. Infidâ— subdit Responsio Bzovius The French King prevails with the King of England to submit to the Pope Which was well received at Rome Hist. Council of Trent by Padre Paule But the Imperialists opposed it 1531. And with great preparation procure a sentence against the King The King resolves to abolish the Popes Power in England Which had been much disputed there 1532. â—elerine Inglese Hall The Arguments upon which it was rejected 1533. 1534. The Arguments for the Kings Supremacy From the old Testament 1533. And the New And the Practises of the primitive Church And from Reason And from the Laws of England 1534. The Qualification of that Supremacy Necessary Erudition upon the Sacrament of Orders The necessity of extirpating the Popes Power Pains taken to satisfie Fisher about it The Origiâ—nal is in the Cott. lib. 〈◊〉 C. 10. Journal Procer The Act for taking away the Popes Power It is the Act 21 in the Statute Book 27 in the Record and 8 in the Journal The judgments past on that Act. Act about the Succession to the Crown 22 in the Statute Books 34 in the Reâ—ord 26 in the Journal The Oath about the Succesâ—ion Journal Procer Act about punishing Hereticks 14 in the Stâ—tute Book 33 in the Record 31 in the Journal The submission made by the Clergy to the King 19 in the Statute Book 25 in the Record Journal Procâ—r 〈…〉 26 in the Record Collect. â—umb 48. The Act about the Maid of Kâ—nt and her Complices 12 in Statute Book 31 in the Record 7 in the Journâ—â— See his Works paâ— 1435. The 〈…〉 of the 〈◊〉 Sâ—ow Stow. The Nuns speech at her death Hall Stow Fisher gently dealt with But is obstinate and intractable Collect. Numb 49. Cott. Lib. Cleopatâ—e E. 4. The Oath for the Succession generally sworn Orig. Cott. Lib. Otho C. â—â— Collect. Numb 50. Rot. Claus. Those last clausâ—◠〈◊〉 not in the other Writing More and Fisher refuse the Oath See his works p. 1428. Weavers Monuments page 504 and 506. And are proceeded against Another Session of Parliament The Kings Supremacy declared The Oath about the Succession conâ—iâ—med The first Fruits of Benefices given to the King Sundry