them After that the printed Injunctions and others not printed with the Book of Homilies were delivered both to the Bishop for his Church and the Arch-deacons for their respective Arch-deaconries strictly injoining them to see them speedily executed reserving other new Injunctions to be ministred afterwards as they should see cause Their next Work was to examine the Canons and Priests by virtue of their Oaths which they had taken concerning their Lives and Doctrines What was discovered in other Places concerning the Vices of the Clergy we may conlude from what was found among the Dignitaries of St. Pauls For when the Canons and Priests belonging to this Church were examined one of them named Painter openly confessed that he had often carnally used a certain Married-man's Wife whom he would not name And divers others both of the Canons and Priests confessed the same of themselves There be remaining in the Archives of the Church of Canterbury the Injunctions of the King's Visitors to the Dean and Chapter there bearing date Sept. 22. An. 1 Edw. VI. subscribed by the Visitors Hands Which Injunctions do all relate to the particular Statutes of the Church and are of no other moment There was now a Book of Homilies prepared for present use to be read in all Churches for the Instruction of the People and Erasmus's Paraphrase upon the New Testament in English was to be set up in all Churches for the better instruction of Priests in the Sense and Knowledg of the Scriptures And both these Books by the King's Injunctions aforementioned were commanded to be taught and learned CHAP. III. Homilies and Erasmus's Paraphrase ARch-bishop Cranmer found it highly convenient to find out some Means for the Instruction of the People in true Religion till the Church could be better supplied with learned Priests and Ministers For which purpose he resolved upon having some good Homilies or Sermons composed to be read to the People which should in a plain manner teach the Grounds and Foundation of true Religion and deliver the People from popular Errors and Superstitions When this was going in hand with the Arch-bishop sent his Letters to the Bishop of Winchester to try if he could bring him to be willing to join in this Business shewing him that it was no more than what was intended by the former King and a Convocation in the Year 1542 wherein himself was a Member to make such a stay of Errors as were then by ignorant Preachers spread among the People But this Bishop was not for Cranmer's Turn in his Answer signifying to him That since that Convocation the King his old Master's Mind changed and that God had afterwards given him the Gift of Pacification as he worded it meaning that the King made a stop in his once intended Reformation He added That there was a Convocation that extinguished those Devices and this was still in force And therefore that now nothing more ought to be done in Church-Matters And a Copy of this Letter he sent to the Lord Protector trying to perswade him also to be of his Mind The Arch-bishop answered these Letters of Winchester Wherein he again required these Homilies to be made by virtue of that Convocation five Years before and desired Winchester to weigh things But he replied It was true they communed then of such things but they took not effect at that time nor needed they to be put in execution now And that in his Judgment it could not be done without a new Authority and Command from the King's Majesty Then he used his Politicks urging That it was not safe to make new Stirs in Religion That the Lord Protector did well in putting out a Proclamation to stop vain Rumors and he thought it not best to enterprize any thing to tempt the People with occasion of Tales whereby to break the Proclamation And as in a natural Body he said Rest without Trouble did confirm and strengthen so it was in a Common-wealth Trouble travaileth and bringeth things to loosness Then he suggested the Danger the Arch-bishop might involve himself in by making Alterations That he was not certain of his Life when the old Order was broken and a new brought in by Homilies that he should continue to see the new Device executed For it was not done in a Day He wished there were nothing else to do now He suggested that a new Order engendred a new Cause of Punishment against them that offend and Punishments were not pleasant to them that have the Execution And yet they must be for nothing may be contemned There were two Letters Winchester sent to the Arch-bishop in answer to as many from the Arch-bishop In which he laboured to perswade the Arch-bishop not to innovate any thing in Religion during the King's Minority and particularly to forbear making Homilies and refusing for himself to meddle therein An imperfect part of one of these Letters I have laid in the Appendix as I transcribed it from the Original So when it was perceived that Winchester would not be brought to comply and join in with the Arch-bishop and the rest they went about the composing the Homilies themselves Cranmer had a great hand in them And that Homily of Salvation particularly seems to be of his own doing This while he was in composing it was shewn to Winchester by the Arch-bishop to which he made this Objection That he would yield to him in this Homily if they could shew him any old Writer that wrote how Faith excluded Charity in the Office of Justification and that it was against Scripture Upon this Canterbury began to argue with him and to shew him how Faith excluded Charity in the Point of Justifying And Winchester denied his Arguments And in fine such was his Sophistication that the Arch-bishop at last told him He liked nothing unless he did it himself and that he disliked the Homily for that Reason because he was not a Counsellor The Council had now put this Bishop in the Fleet for his Refractoriness to the King's Proceedings where if his Complaint to the Lord Protector were true he was somewhat straitly handled For he was allowed no Friend or Servant no Chaplain Barber Taylor nor Physician A sign he gave them high Provocation While he was here the Arch-bishop sent for him once or twice to discourse with him and to try to bring him to comply with their Proceedings in reforming Religion He dealt very gently with him and told him That he was a Man in his Opinion meet to be called to the Council again but withal told him that he stood too much in Obstinacy that it was perverse Frowardness and not any Zeal for the Truth And laboured to bring him to allow the Book which was now finished and the Paraphrase of Erasmus The former he could not allow of because of the Doctrine therein by Cranmer asserted of Justification by Faith without Works Which Cranmer took pains to perswade him about
instrumental to Hoper's Imprisonment than by doing that which was expected from him viz. giving a true Account of his unsuccessful dealing with him But at last he complied and received Consecration after the usual Form and the Church enjoyed a most excellent Instrument in him at this time for his Learning Zeal Courage and Activity This News Peter Martyr signified in a Letter to Gualter For he and Bullinger and the rest of his Friends at Zurick had heard of this Contention and were much concerned for this their Acquaintance But as he was Consecrated in March so in April following Martyr wrote to the said Gualter That he had never been wanting to Hoper whether in his Counsel for satisfying his Conscience or in respect of his Interest with the Arch-bishop or other chief Men and that he always hoped well of his Cause That he now was freed of all his troubles and that he was actually in his Bishoprick and did discharge his Office piously and strenuously This was the more acceptable News to the Foreigners because some of the Bishops took occasion upon this Disobedience of Hoper liberally to blame the Churches abroad among which Hoper had been as tho they had infused these principles into him and then fell foul upon Bucer and Martyr that were set the one Professor in Cambridg and the other in Oxon as though they would corrupt all the Youth in both Universities who would suck in from them such Principles as Hoper had done This Bucer heard of and writ it with a concern to Marâ—â—r Who writ again how amazed and almost stupified he was to hear this But that it was well that the Bishops saw his Letter to Hoper which would vindicate him from such Imputations And indeed both his and Bucer's Letter concerning this point did or might seasonably stop this Clamour CHAP. XVIII Bishop Hoper Visits his Diocess THE Summer next after his Consecration he went down and made a strict Visitation of his Diocess fortified with Letters from the Privy-Council that so his Authority might be the greater and do the more good among an ignorant superstitious stubborn Clergy and Laity I have seen a Manuscript in Folio giving an Account of the whole Visitation of the Method thereof and of the Condition he found the Clergy of the Diocess in as to their Learning and Abilities First He sent a general Monitory Letter to his Clergy signifying his Intention of coming among them gravely advising them of their Office and what was required of them who were entred into this Holy Vocation This Letter may be found in the Appendix When he visited them he gave them Articles concerning Christian Religion to the number of Fifty which bore this Title Articles concerning Christen Religion given by the Reverend Father in Christ John Hoper Bishop of Gloucester unto all and singular Deans Parsons Prebendaries Vicars Curats and other Ecclesiastical Ministers within the Diocess of Glocester to be had and retained of them for the Vnity and Agreement as well as the Doctrine of God's Word as also for the Conformation of the Ceremonies agreeing with God's Word Let me give the Reader but a taste of them I. That none do teach any manner of thing to be necessary for the Salvation of Man other than what is contained in the Books of God's Holy Word II. That they faithfully teach and instruct the People committed unto their Charge that there is but one God Everlasting Incorporate Almighty Wise and Good the Maker of Heaven and Earth the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also he will be called upon by us And though one God in Essence and Unity in the Godhead yet in the same Unity three distinct Persons III. That they teach all the Doctrines contained in the three Creeds IV. That they teach that the Church of God is the Congregation of the Faithful wherein the Word of God is truly preached and the Sacraments justly ministred according to the Institution of Christ. And that the Church of God is not by God's Word taken for the Multitude or Company of Men as of Bishops Priests and such other but that it is the company of all Men hearing God's Word and obeying to the same lest that any Man should be seduced believing himself to be bound unto an ordinary Succession of Bishops and Priests but only unto the Word of God and the right use of his Sacraments V. That tho the true Church cannot err from the Faith yet nevertheless forasmuch as no Man is free from Sin and Lies there is nor can be any Church known be it never so perfect or holy but it may err These are the five first Then he gave them Injunctions to the number of one and thirty Seven and twenty Interrogatories and Demands of the People and Parishioners and of their Conversation to be required and known by the Parsons Vicars and Curats Sixty one Interrogatories and Examinations of the Ministers and of their Conversation to be required and known by the Parishioners There were also Articles whereupon all Ministers were examined concerning the Ten Commandments the Articles of Faith and the Petitions of the Lord's Prayer viz. to each Minister were these Questions put 1. Concerning the Commandments 1. How many Commandments 2. Where they are written 3. Whether they can recite them by Heart 2. Concerning the Christian Faith 1. What are the Articles of the Christian Faith 2. Whether they can recite them by Heart 3. That they corroborate them by Authority of Script 3. Concerning the Lord's Prayer 1. Whether they can say the Petitions by Heart 2. How they know it to be the Lord's Prayer 3. Where it is written Which Demands how easy soever they were many Curats and Priests such was the Ignorance of those Days could say but little to Some could say the Pater Noster in Latin but not in English Few could say the Ten Commandments Few could prove the Articles of Faith by Scripture That was out of their way The Memory of such as have been greatly useful in the Church or State ought religiously to be preserved Of this Number was this Bishop who as he was naturally an active Man put forth all his Strength and Vigour of Body and Mind to set forward a good Reformation in Religion and afterwards as couragiously shed his Blood for it Therefore I cannot part with this good Prelat till I have gathered up and reposited here some farther Memorials of him The Diocess of Worcester becoming void by the Deprivation of Hethe in Octob. 1551. and requiring an industrious Man to be set over that See it was given to Hoper to hold in Commendam In the Year 1552 in Iuly he visited that Diocess which he found much out of Order But before he had finished he was fain to go back to Glocester hearing of the ungodly Behaviour of the Ministers there He left them the last Year seemingly very compliant to be reformed and took their
this Heir made amends for the Nation 's so long expectation of a Prince His singular Excellency in all kind of Princely Towardliness to use the words of one who lived in those Times was such that no Place no Time no Cause no Book no Person either in publick Audience or else in private Company made any mention of him but thought himself even of very Conscience bound to powdre the same with manifold Praises of his incomparable Vertues and Gifts of Grace And again How happy are we English-Men of such a King in whose Childhood appeareth as perfect Grace Vertue godly Zeal desire of Literature Gravity Prudence Justice and Magnanimity as hath heretofore been found in Kings of most mature Age of full Discretion of antient Fame and of passing high Estimation And again That God hath of singular Favour and Mercy towards this Realm of England sent your Grace to reign over us the thing it self by the whole Process doth declare The Arch-bishop his Godfather took exceeding complacency in a Prince of such Hopes and would often congratulate Sir Iohn Cheke his School-master having such a Scholar even with Tears His Instructors would sometimes give Account to the Arch-bishop of his Proficiency in his Studies a thing that they knew would be acceptable to him Thus did Dr. Cox his Tutor in a Letter acquaint the ABp of the Prince's Towardliness Godliness Gentleness and all honest Qualities and that both the Arch-bishop and all the Realm ought to take him for a singular Gift sent of God That he read Cato Vives his Satellitium Esop's Fables and made Latin besides things of the Bible and that he conned pleasantly and perfectly The Arch-bishop out of his dear Love to him and to encourage him would sometimes himself write in Latin to him And one of his Letters to him is yet extant in Fox His great Parts might be seen by his Letters Journals Memorials Discourses and Writings which were many divers lost but of those that are yet extant these are the most A Letter to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury his God-father from Ampthil in Latin being then but about seven Years old Another in Latin to the Arch-bishop from Hartford which was an Answer to one from the Arch-bishop A Letter in French to his Sister the Lady Elizabeth writ Decemb. 18 1546. A Letter to his Unkle the Duke of Somerset after his Success against the Scots 1547. To Q. Katharine Par after her Marriage with the Lord Admiral his Unkle Another Letter to her A Letter to the Earl of Hartford his Cousin in Latin A Letter to Barnaby Fitz-Patrick concerning the Duke of Somerset's Arraignment Another to B. Fitz-Patrick consisting of Instructions to him when he went into France Another to Fitz-Patrick giving him an Account of his Progress in August 1552. Orders concerning the Habits and Apparel of his Subjects according to their Degrees and Qualities Mention is also made in the History of the Reformation of Letters in Latin to K. Henry his Father at eight Years old and to Queen Katharine Par. His Journal writ all with his own Hand from the beginning of his Reign 1547 until the 28 th of Novemb. 1552. A Collection of Passages of Scripture against Idolatry in French Dedicated to the Protector A Discourse about the Reformation of many Abuses both Ecclesiastical and Temporal A Reformation of the Order of the Garter Translated out of English into Latin by K. Edward These four last are published in the History of the Reformation Volume II. among the Collections A Book written in French by him at twelve Years of Age against the Pope intitled A L'encontre les abus du Monde A Memorial February 1551. Another Memorial dated Octob. 13. 1552. Another Memorial His Prayer a little before his Death I shall reherse none of these Writings but only one of the Memorials because it bordereth so near upon our present History and shews so much this Young Prince's Care of Religion and for the good Estate of the Church animated admonished counselled and directed in these Matters by the Arch-bishop For Religion Octob. 13. 1552. I. A Catechism to be set forth for to be taught in all Grammar-Schools II. An Uniformity of Doctrine to which all Preachers should set their Hands III. Commissions to be granted to those Bishops that be Grave Learned Wise Sober and of good Religion for the executing of Discipline IV. To find fault with the slightfulness of the Pastors and to deliver them Articles of Visitation willing and commanding them to be more diligent in their Office and to keep more Preachers V. The abrogating of the old Canon-Law and establishment of a New VI. The dividing of the Bishoprick of Durham into two and placing of Men in them VII The placing of Harley into the Bishoprick of Hereford VIII The making of more Homilies IX The making of more Injunctions X. The placing of one in a Bishoprick in Ireland which Turner of Canterbury hath refused Some of these things were already done and some in Hand Hereby we may see what further Steps in the Reformation would have been made had the good King lived So that in this King's Reign Religion made a good Progress and Superstition and Idolatry was in a good manner purged out of the Church Which was the more to be wondred at considering the Minority of the King the grievous Factions at Court and the too common Practice then of scoffing and buffooning Religion and the more conscientious Professors of it For of this sort of Men Russians and dissolute Livers there were many followed the Court and were Favorites to the Leading-Men there I mean the two Dukes and proved after base Time-servers and Flatterers in the Reign of Queen Mary During this Reign Arch-bishop Cranmer was a very active Man and great Deference seemed to be given to his Judgment by the King and Council in the Matters that were then transacting especially as concerning the Reformation of Religion For I find him very frequently at the Council-Board and often sent for thither or sent unto when absent And here I will not think much to set down all the particular Days when and Places where he was present in Person with the Privy-Counsellors from the Year 1550 beginning unto the middle of the Year 1553 near the the Time of the King's Death as it was extracted carefully out of a Council-Book that commenceth at the above-said Year Anno 1550 April 19. He was present at the Council then at Greenwich This Month one Putto who had been put to silence for his lend Preaching that is against the Steps made in the Reformation and did now nevertheless of his own Head preach as lendly as he had done before was referred to the Arch-bishop and the Bishop of Ely to be corrected April 28. The Arch-bishop present at Council May 2 4 7 11 On
of London and immediately dispatched the Earl of Arundel and the Lord Paget unto her with a Letter writ from Baynard's-Castle where they now were removed from the Tower In which Letter they beg her Pardon and to remit their former Infirmities and assure her calling God to witness to the same that they were ever in their Hearts her true Subjects since the King's Death but could not utter their Minds before that time without great Destruction and Bloodshed of themselves and others The Copy of this Letter may be read in the Appendix The same day the Council wrote to the Duke of Northumberland their Letters dated from VVestminster sent by an Herald Wherein the Duke was commanded and charged in Q. Mary's Name to disarm and discharge his Souldiers and to forbear his return to the City until the Queen's Pleasure And the same was to be declared to the Marquess of Northampton and all other Gentlemen that were with him The Herald was also by virtue of his Letters from the Council to notify in all Places where he came That if the Duke did not submit himself to the Queen's Highness he should be taken as a Traitor and they of the late King's Council would persecute him to his utter Confusion And thus far our Arch-bishop went For this was signed by him and the Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellor the Marquess of VVinchester the Duke of Suffolk the Earls of Bedford Shrewsbury Pembrook the Lord Darcy Sir Richard Cotton Petre and Cecyl Secretaries Sir Iohn Baker Sir Iohn Mason Sir Robert Bowes The Duke saw it in vain to oppose and so submitted to this Order And the Plot that his â—mbition had been framing so long and with so much Art fell on a sudden Very speedily Queen Mary was owned Abroad as well as at Home Dr. VVotton Dean of Canterbury Sir VVilliam Pickering Sir Thomas Chaloner Ambassadors in France writ their Letters to her and the Council acknowledging her and ceasing any further to act as Ambassadors She continued Dr. VVotton and sent for Pickering and Chaloner Home and sent Sir Anthony St. Leger the beginning of August Ambassador thither joined with VVotton This Determination the Council August 12 signified to the said three Ambassadors But now to cast our Eyes upon the State of Religion at this Time Upon this Access of Queen Mary to the Crown whose Interest as well as Education made her a Zealous Papist the good Progress of Religion was quite overthrown and the pious Arch-bishop's Pains and long Endeavours in a great measure frustrated and he himself soon after exercised with great Afflictions The first pretended Occasion of which was this It was reported Abroad soon after King Edward's Death that the Arch-bishop had offered to sing the Mass and Requiem at the Burial of that King either before the Queen or at S. Paul's Church or any where else and that he had said or restored Mass already in Canterbury This indeed had the Suffragan of Dover Dr. Thornton done but without the Arch-bishop's Consent or knowledg But however such good Impressions of Religion had the Arch-bishop left at Canterbury that though Mass was set up there and Priests were through fear forced to say it yet it was utterly contrary to their Wills And about New-years-tide there was a Priest said Mass there one Day and the next came into the Pulpit and desired all the People to forgive him For he said he had betrayed Christ but not as Judas did but Peter And then he made a long Sermon against the Mass. But the aforesaid slanderous report so troubled the Arch-bishop that to stay it he wrote a Letter to a Friend of his that he never made any promise of saying Mass nor that he did set up the Mass in Canterbury but that it was done by a false flattering lying Monk Dr. Thornden such a Character in his just Anger he gave him who was Suffragan of Dover and Vice-dean of that Church in the absence of Dr. Wotton who was then abroad in Embassy This Thornden saith my Manuscript writ but a few Years after by Scory or Becon as I conjecture was A Man having neither Wit Learning nor Honesty And yet his Wit is very ready For he preacheth as well extempore as at a Years warning so learnedly that no Man can tell what he chiefly intendeth or goeth about to prove so aptly that a gross of Points is not sufficient to ty his Sermon together Not unlike to Iodocus a Monk of whom Erasmus maketh mention in his Colloquies who if he were not garnished with these glorious Titles Monk Doctor Vice-dean and Suffragan were worthy to walk openly in the Streets with a Bell and Cocks-comb Besides this Letter the Arch-bishop resolved to do something in a more publick manner in vindication of the Reformation as well as of himself So he devised a Declaration Wherein he both apologized for himself against this false Report and made a brave Challenge with the assistance of Peter Martyr and a few more to maintain by Disputation with any Man the Reformation made under K. Edward This Declaration after a first draught of it he intended to enlarge and then being sealed with his own Seal to set it upon the Doors of S. Paul's Church and other Churches in London This Writing wherein the good Religion and Doctrine practised and taught in the former Reign was so nobly owned and offered to be defended in such a publick manner was not only read by some Body boldly in Cheapside but many Copies thereof were taken and so became dispersed It was also soon after printed in Latin and I suppose in English too Sure I am in the Year 1557 it was printed beyond Sea by the Exiles From which Print I shall here transcribe it being sent from Grindal to Iohn Fox for his use in the writing his History A Declaration of the Reverend Father in God Thomas Cranmer Arch-bishop of Canterbury condemning the untrue and slanderous Report of some which have reported That he should set up the Mass at Canterbury at the first coming of the Queen to her Reign 1553. AS the Devil Christ's antient Adversary is a Liar and the Father of Lying even so hath he stirred his Servants and Members to persecute Christ and his true Word and Religion Which he ceaseth not to do most earnestly at this present For whereas the most noble Prince of famous Memory King Henry VIII seeing the great Abuses of the Latin Masses reformed something herein in his Time and also our late Soveraign Lord K. Edward VI took the same whole away for the manifold Errors and Abuses thereof and restored in the place thereof Christ's Holy Supper according to Christ's own Institution and as the Apostles in the Primitive Church used the same in the beginning The Devil goeth about by lying to overthrow the Lord's Holy Supper and to restore the Latin Satisfactory Masses a thing of his own Invention and Device And
First the King and Queen sent their Information to the Pope against Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury viz. That he had brought this noble Realm from the Unity of the Catholick Church That he was a Person guilty of Heresy and many other grand Crimes and not worthy to enjoy his Bishoprick and most worthy greater Punishments and they requested that Process might be made against him For the better enquiry into and taking cognizance of the Truth of these Accusations the Pope gave a special Commission signed with his Hand to Iames Puteo Cardinal of S. Mary's and afterwards of S. Simeon to cite the said Thomas before him and all such Witnesses as should be needful to come to a true knowledg of the Arch-bishop's Crimes and accordingly to give the Pope an account of all he should find This he was to do in his own Person or to constitute any dignified Person abiding in these Parts to do the same So the said Cardinal appointed Brookes Bishop of Glocester and some Collegues with him to manage this Commission in his stead This Brookes having been Bishop Gardiner's Chaplain was probably nominated and recommended by the said Gardiner as I do suppose he was the Person that directed the whole managery of this Process against the Arch-bishop And so Brookes being now by this Deputation the Pope's Sub-delegate proceeded in this Cause as was said before In regard of the Arch-bishop's Citation to Rome to answer there and make his personal appearance before the Pope the Letters Executory say Comparere non curaret as an Aggravation of his Crime that he took no care to appear which was false and that therefore as the said Letters ran the King and Queen's Proctors at Rome named Peter Rouilius and Anthony Massa de Gallesio and Alexander Palentarius the Proctor of the Pope's Treasury had sued that Contumacy might be definitively pronounced against the said Thomas Cranmer being cited and not appearing Therefore He Pope Paul IV. sitting in the Throne of Justice and having before his Eyes God alone who is the Righteous Lord and judgeth the World in Righteousness did make this definitive Sentence pronouncing and decreeing the said Thomas Cranmer to be found Guilty of the Crimes of Heresy and other Excesses to be wholly unmindful of the Health of his Soul to go against the Rules and Ecclesiastical Doctrines of the Holy Fathers and against the Apostolical Traditions of the Roman Church and Sacred Councils and the Rites of the Christian Religion hitherto used in the Church especially against the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord and Holy Orders by thinking and teaching otherwise than the Holy Mother Church preacheth and observeth and by denying the Primacy and Authority of the Apostolick See and against the Processions which every Year on Corpus Christi Day were wont to be celebrated by the Pope's Predecessors Mention also is made of his Bringing in again the Heresy abjured by Berengarius of his believing the false and heretical Doctrines of Wicklif and Luther those Arch-Hereticks printing of Books of that nature and publishing them and defending those Doctrines in publick Disputations and that before his Sub-delegate and persisting herein with Obstinacy Therefore the Pope excommunicated him and deprived him of his Arch-bishoprick and all other Places and Privileges whatsoever and adjudged him to be delivered over to the Secular Court and all his Goods to be confiscate And the Pope absolved all Persons from any Oath of Fidelity given to Cranmer and imposed perpetual Silence upon him And moreover upon the instance of the abovesaid Proctors commanded the Bishops of London and Ely to degrade him and so to deliver him over to the Secular Court This bore date December 14. In obedience to these Letters from Rome the two Bishops the Pope's Delegates came down to Oxford and sitting in the Choire of Christ's-Church before the High Altar the said Commissional Letters were read wherein it was specified That all things were indifferently examined on both Parties and Counsel heard as well on the King 's and Queen's behalf who were Cranmer's Accusers as on the behalf of Cranmer so that he wanted nothing to his necessary Defence Whereat the Arch-bishop could not but exclaim while these things were reading against such manifest Lies That as he said when he was continually in Prison and could never be suffered to have Counsel or Advocate at Home he should produce Witness and appoint his Counsel at Rome God must needs punish added he this open and shameless Lying But this Command of Degrading our Arch-bishop was presently proceeded upon Thomas Thirlby Bishop of Ely his old Friend infinitely before-time obliged by the Arch-bishop shed many Tears at the doing of it So that Cranmer moved at it was fain to comfort him and told him He was well contented with it So they apparelled the Arch-bishop in all the Garments and Ornaments of an Archbishop only in mockery every thing was of Canvas and old Clouts And the Crosier was put into his Hand And then he was piece by piece stript of all again When they began to take away his Pal he asked them Which of them had a Pal to take away his Pal They then answered acknowledging they were his Inferiors as Bishops but as they were the Pope's Delegates they might take away his Pal. While they were thus spoiling him of all his Garments he told them That it needed not for that he had done with this Gear long ago While this was doing Boner made a Triumphant Speech against the poor Arch-bishop But when they came to take away his Crosier he held it fast and would not deliver it but pulled out an Appeal out of his left Sleeve under his Wrist and said I appeal unto the next General Council and herein I have comprehended my Cause and the Form of it which I desire may be admitted And prayed divers times to the standers by to be Witnesses naming them by their Names This Appeal is preserved in Fox which is well worthy the reading The Arch-bishop was all along ill dealt with in divers respects in this his Process which himself was well sensible of One was That he had desired the Court that considering he was upon his Life he might have the use of Proctors Advocates and Lawyers But they would allow him none After the Court wherein Brooks was Sub-delegate had done they promised him that he should see his Answers to Sixteen Articles that they had laid against him that he might correct amend and change them where he thought good And that Promise they performed not And so entred his Answers upon record though his Answer was not made upon Oath nor reserved nor made in judicio but extra judicium Which Cranmer made a Protest of But not to the Bishop of Glocester as Judg whom he would not own but to the King 's and Queen's Proctors Martin and Story To them for these Reasons he wrote a Letter That he trusted they
the said Act. There was indeed an Act made which seemed contrary to this Act namely That which in the Year 1536 put by the Succession of Q. Ann and carried it to the King's Children by another Queen and to this Act the Subjects were to swear also And we will suppose that the ABp swore with the rest to this Act. Neither was there any Perjury here for this Oath in truth was not contrary to the former For by reason of some lawful Impediment of Queen Ann's Marriage with the King as was then pretended it was declared by the Parliament That the Issue of that Queen was Illegitimate and not Inheritable And the first Oath was only for the Succession of lawful Issue by Queen Ann. Therefore there being no lawful Issue of that Queen as was then at least supposed the Oath to the lawful Issue of another Queen might certainly be very innocently taken without infringing the breach of the former And where at length is this Notorious Perjury and swearing and forswearing at every turn Allen again lets fly upon him calling him Apostata But surely it is not Apostacy to leave Error Superstition and Idolatry for the true Doctrine and Profession of the Gospel He chargeth him also with often Relapsing and Recanting He made no Relapses nor Recantations at all as I know of unless a little before his Death when he subscribed to a parcel of Popish Articles by the Importunity of Papists working upon his Frailty and long-Sufferings But he soon revoked all again and died most patiently in the Profession of the true Religion And to this at last comes all this mighty Clamour That he was notoriously Perjured an often relapsed Apostata recanting swearing and forswearing at every Turn Saunders his scurrilous and false Accounts of Cranmer are numberless I will only mention one or two He saith That from Cambridg he went to the Service of Sir Tho. Bullen and by his Preferment was made Arch-bishop of Canterbury Whereas from Cambridg he was immediatly made the King's Chaplain and wanted not the Recommendation of any to his Preferment the King being so well acquainted with his Merits And though he abode sometime with the Earl of Wiltshire whom he stileth Sir Tho. Bullen yet it was not in the quality of his Chaplain but of one whom the King recommended to him He writeth That the Arch-bishop carried his Wife about him in a Chest when he removed and addeth a ridiculous Story relating thereunto And his Brother Parsons saith This was a most certain Story and testified at that Day by Cranmer 's Son's Widow to divers Gentlemen her Friends from whom Parsons saith he had it Other Popish Dignitaries in those Days kept and conversed with their Concubines and Whores more publickly and did the Arch-bishop keep his Wife so close But in case he had travelled with her more openly who should examine the Arch-bishop and call him to Account whether she were his Wife or his Concubine and therefore the Story is most improbable The King himself knew he had a Wife well enough And when the Arch-bishop saw the Danger of having her with him he sent her away to her Friends beyond-Sea for a Time And that silly Story comes through too many Hands before it came to Parsons to make it credible Cranmer's Son tells it to his Wife No Body knows where She being a Widow tells it to certain Gentlemen No Body knows who And they tell it to Parsons no Body knows when No one Place Person or Time mentioned And so all the Faith of the Matter lies upon a Woman's Evidence and hers upon the Credit of those two very honest Men Parsons and Saunders In Parsons his three Conversions of England are these many favourable Expressions of our Arch-bishop to be found That he was the first Heretick in that Order of Arch-bishops of Canterbury Because he was the first that laboured a Reformation of the horrible Errors of the degenerate Church of Rome And that he was the first Arch-bishop of Canterbury that ever brake from the Roman Faith And that this was the first Change of Religion in any Arch bishop from the beginning unto his Days Designing thereby to fix a very black Mark upon him which rather redounds to his everlasting Honour That he was an unconstant Man in his Faith and Belief Incontinent in his Life Variable in all his Actions Accommodating himself always to the Times wherein he lived and to the Humours of those who could do most and this in Matters even against Right and Conscience No but quite contrary he was constant in his Faith and Belief to the very last except one Fall which he soon recovered Most chaste in his Life living in the holy State of Marriage Steady in all his Actions accommodating himself always neither to the Times nor to the Humours of any Man let him be as great as he would any farther than he might do in Righâ— and Conscience And often opposing King Parliament Privy-Council and Synods to his utmost Danger in defence of Truth and for the disâ—harge of his own Conscience Again That he was a Roman Catholick in most Points during K. Henry 's Reign Whereas he was so in no Point excepting in that of the Corporeal Presence That he applied himself to the Religion which the State and Prince liked best to allow of in that Time of K. Henry VIII From which he was so far that he often boldly and publickly declared against divers Things which the King was bent upon as in the Act of the Six Articles and in composing the Book called The Necessary Erudition That these three the King Queen Ann and Arch-bishop Cranmer held the Catholick Faith Vsages and Rites and went as devoutly to Mass as ever and so remained they in outward shew even to their Deaths Though some Years before Cranmer's Death namely from the first Year of King Edward the Mass was wholly laid aside and never used at all That Cranmer and Crumwel went to Mass after the King married the Lady Ann Bolen as before What they did as to the going to Mass our Histories tell us little of If they did it was with little Approbation of it And as Crumwel on the Scaffold protested that he was a good Catholick Man but there is difference between a Good Catholick and a Roman Catholick and never doubted of any of the Church-Sacraments then used Thereby intending I suppose to make a Difference between them and the Gospel-Sacraments But surely Crumwel in his Life-time was so utterly against four or five of them that he brought Aless a Learned Man into a Convocation to dispute there for two only And the like Cranmer had done no doubt if he had been brought to the Scaffold in King Henry 's Days Which had been a happy Case for him To a Scaffold they of the Roman Perswasion endeavoured many a Year to bring him and they would have thought it a happy Case for them if they could
Majesty It may like the same to understand that We your most humble faythful and obedient Subjects having alwayes God we take to witnes remayned your Highnes true and humble Subjects in our harts ever sythens the death of our late Soveraign Lord and Master your Highnes brother whom God pardon And seeing hitherto no possibilite to utter our determination herein without great destruction and bludshed both of our selves and others tâ—l this time Have this day proclaimed in your city of London your Majesty to be our true natural Soveraign Liege Lady and Queen Most humbly beseeching your Majesty to pardon and remit our former infirmities and most graciously taccept our meanings which have byn ever to serve your Highnes truly And so shal remain in al our powers and forces to theffusion of our bludds as thies bearers our very good Lords therle of Arundel and L. Paget can and be redy more particularly to declare To whom it may please your Excellent Majesty to give firme credence And thus we do and shal daily pray to Almighty God for the preservation of your most royal person long to reign over us From your Majesties city of London this day of Iuly the first year of your most prosperous Reygne Thus endorsed by the hand of Sir Will. Cecyl Copy of the letter to the Quene from Baynards Castle 20 July 1553. NUM LXXII The Archbishop to Mrs. Wilkinson persuading her to fly THE true Comforter in all distress is only God through his son Iesus Christ. And whosoever hath him hath compaâ—y enough although he were in a wildernes al alone And he that hath twenty thousand in his company if God be absent is in a miserable wilderness and desolation In him is al comfort and without him is none Wherefore I beseech you seek your dwelling there whereas you may truly and rightly serve God and dwel in him and have him ever dwelling in you What can be so heavy a burden as an unquiet conscience to be in such a place as a man cannot be suffered to serve God in Christs religion If you be loth to depart from your kin and friends remember that Christ calleth them his mother sisters and brothers that do his fathers wil. Where we find therfore God truly honored according to his wil there we can lack neither friend nor kin If you be loth to depart for slandering Gods word remember that Christ when his houre was not yet come departed out of his countrey into Samaria to avoyd the malice of the Scribes and Pharisees and commanded his Apostles that if they were pursued in one place they should fly to another And was not Paul let down by a basket out at a window to avoid the persecution of Aretas And what wisdome and policy he used from time to time to escape the malice of his enemies the Acts of the Apostles do declare And after the same sort did the other Apostles Albeit when it came to such a point that they could no longer escape danger of the persecutors of Gods true religion then they shewed themselves that their flying before came not of fear but of godly wisdome to do more good and that they would not rashly without urgent necessity offer themselves to death Which had been but a temptation of God Yea when they were apprehended and could no longer avoid then they stood boldly to the profession of Christ Then they shewed how little they passed of death How much they feared God more then men How much they loved and preferred the eternal life to come above this short and miserable life Wherefore I exhort you as wel by Christs commandment as by the example of him and his Apostles to withdraw your self from the malice of yours and Gods enemies into some place where God is most purely served Which is no slandering of the truth but a preserving of your self to God and the truth and to the society and comfort of Christs little flock And that you wil do do it with speed lest by your own folly you fal into the persecutors hands And the Lord send his holy spirit to lead and guide you whersoever you go And al that be godly wil say Amen NUM LXXIII The words and sayings of John Duke of Northumberland spoken by him unto the people at the Towerhill of London on Tuesday in the forenoon being the 22d day of August immediatly before his death as hereafter followeth GOod people I am come hither for to dy this day for the which al you are come hither to see And that although this is most horrible and detestable yet justly have I deserved the same for that I have been most grievous sinner unto Almighty God and to al the whole world and to the Queens grace In as much as I did presume of my self in the plain field to bear armor against her Grace Wherfore I do acknowledg that I have offended her lawes and that justly she might have put me to death without any Law had she so pleased But of her most clemency hath weighed my death by a law which justly hath condemned me But the more I trust for my Salvation and the more better for me to consider the greatnes of my sins And therfore the better for my Salvation And forasmuch as I am permitted to speak my conscience this I do protest before God the World and al you that this my death hath not been altogether of mine own procuring but hath been incensed by others Whom I pray God to pardon For I wil not name nor accuse any man here And now I shal shew how I have been of a long time led by false Teachers somewhat before the death of K. Henry VIII and ever since Which is a great part of this my death Wherfore good people beware and take heed that you be not led and deceived by these seditious and leud Preachers that have opened the Book and know not how to shut it But return home again to your true religion and Catholick faith which hath been taught you of old For since the time that this new teaching hath come among us God hath given us over unto our selves and hath plagued us sundry and many wayes with wars commotions tumults rebellions pestilence and famine besides many more great and grievous pâ—agues to the great decay of our common wealth Wherfore Good people be obedient unto the Queen her lawes and be content to receive again the true Catholic faith from which of long time you have been led Examples we have of Germany Which in like manner being led and seduced how are they now brought to ruine as wel it is known to the world And also we are taught by our Creed in the latter part of the same Where it is said We believe in the holy Ghost the holy Catholick faith the Communion of Saints Thus you may see the Articles of our belief do teach us the true faith Catholic This is my very faith and
Chair tho with as much Reluctancy in You as was in Him Of Your GRACE'S Endowments to qualify You for this most Eminent Station I will be wholly silent knowing how abhorrent Your Generous Nature is from Reading or Hearing Your Own Commendations Nor MY LORD is this my End in this my Dedication But this it is That You would so far Encourage these my Weak and Imperfect Labours done out of a Good Intent as to cast a Favourable Eye upon them for the sake of Your Glorious Predecessor the Subject of this Book and to repute me among the Number May it please Your GRACE Of Your most Humble and most Obedient Servants JOHN STRYPE THE PREFACE I Think it fit by way of Preface to these Memorials to admonish the Reader of a few things preparatory to the Perusal thereof As What it was put me at first upon making these Collections concerning Archbishop Cranmer and the State of the Church in his time What induced me to make them Publick And What Credit may be given to them with some other occasional matters I. As to the first I have been for a long time not a little addicted to read whatsoever I could of the Reformation of this famous Church that I might truly understand for what Reasons it was at first attempted in what Methods it proceeded by what Men it was chiefly managed and carried on and how it stood in truth as to its Doctrine Discipline and Government Reputation Learning Piety and such like in its first Establishment and the Earlier Times of it For which purpose I did not only read over what we have in Print of these Matters but for more satisfaction I was carried on to look into MSS. whether Registers Records Letters Instruments and such like A great sort of which by Providence fell into my hands And besides them I have turned over many more in Libraries and elsewhere from whence I made Transcriptions Extracts and Collections for my own use and satisfaction which swelled to no little bulk And while I was doing this I took always a more curious View into the Lives Manners and Doings Learning Virtues and Abilities of the chief leading men whether Archbishops and Bishops or other Church-men of whom we have but little Account extant tho many of them very Great and Good men little more remaining of some of them than their Names The Reverence I bore in my mind to Archbishop Cranmer the Father of the Reformation here in England and the first of that Ancient Metropolitan See that so bravely shook off the Pope and his Appendages inclined me especially to gather up what Notices I could of him Afterwards as my leisure served me out of my indigested Mass of Notes I compiled into some order Memorials of him and of the Affairs of the Church during his Primacy in which he for the most part was concerned and bore a great share with K. Henry and the Lord Cromwel his Vicegerent in Spirituals After some Years these Memorials lying by me I enlarged considerably and digested them into Annals and had thoughts of making them Publick being excited and encouraged thereunto by my Friends who were privy to these my Doings II. And indeed many Considerations induced me hereunto As in general the great Benefit of reading Histories of former Times which what that is take in the Words of Iohn Fox For the things which be first are to be preferred before those which be later And then is the reading of Histories much necessary in the Church to know what went before and what followed after And therefore not without cause History in old Authors is called The Witness of Times the Light of Verity the Life of Memory the Teacher of Life and Shewer of Antiquity Without the knowledge whereof man's Life is blind and soon may fall into any kind of Error as by manifest experience we have to see in these desolate later Times of the Church whenas the Bishops of Rome under colour of Antiquity have turned Truth into Heresy and brought in such new-found Devices of strange Doctrine and Religion as in the former Ages of the Church were never heard of And all through Ignorance of Times and for lack of True History And therefore the Use of History being so considerable Historians in some Kingdoms have been maintained by Publick Encouragement And so the Writer of the Epistle to K. Edward before Erasmus's Paraphrase Englished propounded once to that King That there should be a Publick Salary allotted to some able Persons to Translate good Books and to Write Chronicles for bestowing so great a Benefit on the Commonwealth But particularly the History of the Church and matters relating to Religion have a more special benefit as being conversant about Spiritual things which are weightier by far and concern us more a great deal than Temporal But the more is the pity in this sort of History there is a greater Defect than in the other I speak of our own Nation for tho the History of the State in the last Age was excellently done by the Pens of the Lord Herbert and Mr. Cambden yet the Matters of the Church they professedly declined or did but touch at the former saying expresly His intention was not in an History to discuss Theological Matters as holding it sufficient to have pointed at the places where they are controverted And the latter in his History as often as he came to matters of the Church tells us That he left his Readers to the Ecclesiastical Historian Which hath made me wonder at and apt to accuse the Slothfulness of that Age that during all the time of K. Henry K. Edward and Q. Mary wherein Religion was so tossed about and took up so much of those Reigns there is no one Ecclesiastical History thereof written except that of the diligent and learned Mr. Fox and during the long Reign of Q. Elizabeth and K. Iames I think none at all Till of late years when by length of time and destruction of many Original MSS. by the Civil Wars divers remarkable Transactions were buried and lost some few Learned Men employed themselves in Collecting and Publishing what Memorials of Religion and the Church they could retrieve as namely Dr. Fuller Dr. Heylin and especially Dr. Burnet now the Right Reverend Bishop of Sarum to whom the English Church must be ever beholden for his great and happy Pains contributed hereunto But yet there be good Gleanings after these Writers and many things of remark there are relating to the Church in those Three busie Reigns of Henry Edward and Mary whereof these Historians are either wholly silent or speak imperfectly or erroneously Some whereof in my Searches I have met with which I have disposed in these Memorials But besides the General Benefit of History especially Ecclesiastical this Particular History now recommended unto the English Nation may produce this good effect To make us value and esteem as we ought our Reformed Religion when we see by
CHAP. XXIV The Archbishop's care of the Revenues of the Church Bucer dies The Archbishop labours to preserve the Revenues of the Church The detaining the Church-Revenues a Scandal to the Reformation Calvin to the Archbishop upon this matter And to the Duke of Somerset Bucer publickly disputeth at Cambridge Dieth The University wrote up concerning his Death Bucer's Library His Widow retires to Germany The Correspondence between him and Martyr A Plot of the Papists at Oxon against Martyr at an Act. Martyr's Judgment of the Communion-Book Bucer's great dangers Poynet Consecrated and Hoper CHAP. XXV The Archbishop publisheth his Book against Gardiner Cranmer publisheth his Book of the Sacrament His first Book of that Subject Wrote against by Gardiner and Smith Vindicated in another Book by the Archbishop The Method of the Archbishop's Reply The Judgments made of this Book How the Archbishop came off from the Opinion of the Corporal Presence The Archbishop's great Skill in Controversy Peter Mâ—rtyr enlightned by Cranmer Fox's Conjecture of the Archbishop A second Book of Gardiner against the Archbishop The Archbishop begins a third Book Martyr takes up the Quarrel Cranmer puts out his Book of the Sacrament in Latin Printed again at Embden Cranmer's second Book intended to be â—ut into Latin Some Notes of Cranmer concerning the Sacrament Martyr succeeds Cranmer in this Province Writes against Gardiner And Smith CHAP. XXVI The Duke of Somerset 's Death The Duke of Somerset's Death Winchester suppos'd to be in the Plot. Articles against the Duke What he is blamed for The new Book of Common-Prayer established Coverdale made Bishop of Exon. Scory Bishop Elect of Rochester The Archbishop appoints a Guardian of the Spiritualties of Lincoln And of Wigorn And of Chichester And of Hereford And of Bâ—ngor Hoper visits his Diocess Two Disputations concerning the Sacrament Dr. Redman dies The Archbishop and others appointed to reform Ecclesiastical Laws The method they observed Scory Coverdale Consecrated CHAP. XXVII The Articles of Religion The Articles of Religion framed and published The Archbishop's diligence in them The Archbishop retires to Ford. CHAP. XXVIII Persons nominated for Irish Bishopricks Consulted with for fit Persons to fill the Irish Sees Some account of the four Divines nominated by him for the Archbishoprick of Armagh Mr. Whitehead Mr. Turner Thomas Rosse or Rose Robert Wisdom The Character the Archbishop gave of the two former Turner designed for Armagh But declines it Goodacre made Archbishop of Armagh Letters from the Council to Ireland recommending the Irish Bishops CHAP. XXIX The Archbishop charged with Covetousness A Rumour given out of the Archbishop's Covetousness and Wealth Which Cecyl sends him word of The Archbishop's Answer for himself and the other Bishops This very slander raised upon him to K. Henry K. Henry promised him Lands This Promise performed by K. Edward His Purchases The Archbishoprick fleeced by K. Henry Lands past away to the Crown by Exchange Lands made over to the Archbishop The Archbishop parted also with Knol and Otford to the King What moved him to make these Exchanges His Cares and Fears for the King CHAP. XXX His care for the Vacancies Falls sick His Care for filling the Vacancies of the Church Laboured under an Ague this Autumn The great Mortality of Agues about this time That which most concerned him in his Sickness The Secretary sends the Archbishop the Copy of the Emperor's Pacification CHAP. XXXI His Kindness for Germany His Kindness for Germany His Correspondence with Germany And with Herman Archbishop of Colâ—n The suitableness of both these Archbishops Dispositions Their diligence in Reforming CHAP. XXXII Troubles of Bishop Tonstal The Troubles of Bishop Tonstal The Causes of this Bishop's Punishment A Bill in Parliament to attaint Tonstal The Care of the Diocess committed to the Dean CHAP. XXXIII The New Common-Prayer The Archbishop in Kent The New Common-Prayer began to be used This Book put into French for the King's French Subjects The Age still vicious A new Sect in Kent The Archbishop's business in Kent A Letter for Installing Bishop Hoper The Vicar of Beden Sampson and Knox. The Council favour Knox. Iohn Taylor Consecrated CHAP. XXXIV A Catechism The Archbishop opposeth the Exclusion of the Lady Mary Great use made of the Archbishop at Council The Articles of Religion enjoined by the King's Authority The Catechism for Schools A Catechism set forth by the Synod The Archbishop opposeth the New Settlement of the Crown Denyeth before the Council to subscribe to the Exclusion of the Lady Mary Sets his hand The Archbishop ungratefully dealt with The Council subscribe and swear to the Limited Succession CHAP. XXXV The King dies The King dies His Character The Archbishop delights in this Prince's Proficiency K. Edward's Writings The King 's Memorial for Religion The Archbishop frequent at Council His Presence in the Council in the year 1550. In the year 1551. In the year 1552. And 1553. Iohn Harley Consecrated Bishop BOOK III. CHAP. I. Queen Mary soon recognized The Archbishop slandered and imprisoned THE Archbishops and Counsellors concern with the Lady Iane. They declare for Q. Mary And write to Northumberland to lay down his Arms. The Queen owned by the Ambassadors The Archbishop misreported to have said Mass. Mass at Canterbury Which he makes a Publick Declaration against The Declaration Appears before the Commissioners at Pâ—uls And before the Council The Archbishop of York committed to the Tower and his Goods seized At Battersea At Cawood Gardiner's passage of the two Archbishops CHAP. II. Protestant Bishops and Clergy cast into Prisons and deprived This Reign begins with Rigor The Protestant Bishops deprived The hard usage of the Inferior Clergy Professors cast into the Mâ—rshalsea Winchester's Alms. P. Martyr writes of this to Calvin The state of the Church now The Queen leaves all matters to Winchester The Queen Crowned The Service still said The Queen's Proclamation of her Religion Signs of a Change of Religion CHAP. III. The Archbishop adviseth Professors to fly The Archbishop adviseth to flight Cranmer will not fly Whither the Professors fly And who Duke of Northumberland put to Death His Speech Sir Iohn Gates his Speech And Palmer's The Duke lâ—bours to get his life Whether he was always a Papist CHAP. IV. Peter Martyr departs A Parliament P. Martyr departs Malice towards him A Scandal of the Queen A Parliament The Parliament repeal Q. Katherine's Divorce And Cranmer taxed for it CHAP. V. The Archbishop attainted The Archbishop attainted of Treason The Dean of Canterbury acts in the Vacancy The Archbishop sues for Pardon of Treason Obtains it He desires to open his mind to the Queen concerning Religion CHAP. VI. A Convocation A Convocation How it opened The Archbishop and three more crowded together in the Tower CHAP. VII The Queen sends to Cardinal Pole The Queen sends to Pole The Contents of her Letters Concerning the
themselves and are as much bound to obey as their Temporal Subjects or Lay-men as the Priests call them that the Issue was the abolishing of that Foreign Papal Power and the expulsion of it out of this Realm by the full consent of Parliament A Licence dated Feb. 13. this Year was granted by the Arch-Bishop to Mary the Relict of Sir Henry Guilford Kt. to have the Eucharist Matrimony and Baptism ministred in any Chappel or Oratory within her Mannors where she should reside during her Life And such a Licence dated also Feb. 13. the next Year was granted by him to Margaret Marchioness of Dorset Whether indulged to them by the Arch-Bishop the rather to free them from danger for not frequenting their Parish-Churches and for the avoiding the Superstitious and Idolatrous Worship there performed and that there might be some private Places for purer worshipping God and administration of the Sacraments or only for the Convenience of those Ladies the Reader hath liberty to judg CHAP. VI. The Arch-bishop presseth the Translation of the Bible THIS Rub of the Papal Power being now taken out of the way and the King's Supremacy settled in the next Sessions of Parliament in Novemb. 1534. a Way was opened for a Reformation of Errors and Abuses in Religion So that as the Arch-bishop judged it a thing impossible to make any amendment of Religion under the Pope's Dominion so he thought it now the same being dispatched out of the Realm a meeâ— time to restore the true Doctrine of Christ according to the Word of God and the old Primitive Church within his Jurisdiction and Cure and with the said Pope to abolish also all false Doctrine Errors and Heresies by him brought into the Church for the accomplishing of which he let pass no Opportunities A Convocation now afforded him one Our Arch-bishop from his first entrance upon his Dignity had it much in his mind to get the Holy Scriptures put into the Vulgar Language and a Liberty for all to read them The Convocation now was so well disposed by the influence of the Arch-bishop and his Friends that they did petition the King that the Bible might be translated by some Learned Men of his Highnesses nomination And as this good Motion was briefly made in the House by the Arch-bishop so they agreed upon him to carry their Petition But they clogged it with another which the Arch-bishop did not so well approve of For about the Month of December they pass'd this Order of Convocation The Bishops Abbots Priors of this Upper House of Convocation of the Province of Canterbury met together in the Chapter-House of St. Paul unanimously did consent that the most Reverend Father the Arch-bishop should make instance in their Names to the King that his Majesty would vouchsafe for the encrease of the Faith of his Subjects to decree and command That all his Subjects in whose possession any Books of suspect Doctrine were especially in the Vulgar Language imprinted beyond or on this side the Sea should be warned within three Months to bring them in before Persons to be appointed by the King under a certain Pain to be limited by the King And that moreover his Majesty would vouchsafe to decree that the Scriptures should be translated into the Vulgar Tongue by some honest and learned Men to be nominated by the King and to be delivered unto the People according to their Learning This was resolved in the Convocation Decemb. 19. Accordingly the King issued out soon after his Proclamation What this Proclamation was I do not know unless it were one I meet with about this time against bringing in or printing seditious Books of Anabaptists and Sacramentaries who were said to be lately come into the Realm and against some of his own Subjects who publickly disputed in Taverns and other open Places upon those Points of Religion which the King was offended withal For the Correction and Regulating of which the King in the said Proclamation commanded sundry Articles to be observed which for the length of them I have put into the Appendix Unless perhaps this Proclamation may belong to the Year 1538. About the month of Iune this Year was a Book drawn up for Bishops and Priests wherein was an Order for preaching and in the same were Forms devised for the Beads as well for Preachers as Curates In which Forms the King's Title of Supream Head was specified In this Book was commandment given by the King that â—very Preacher should before Easter once in solemn Audience deâ—â—are the usurped Jurisdiction within this Realm of the Bishop of â—ome and the King 's just Cause to decline from the same and also to open and declare such things as might avow and justify the King's refusal of Marriage with the Princess Dowager and his contract anew with Queen Ann. And also in the same Book an Order was given for the suppression of the General Sentence or Curse This Book the Arch-bishop who we may well suppose had a great hand in it sent by the King's Commandment to all the Bishops and to the Arch-bishop of York though out of his Province that Arch-bishop lying under some Jealousy as it seems with the King Therefore after the receit of the Book the said Arch-bishop of York the next Sunday which was the second Sunday after Trinity went from Cawood to York and there in his own Person declared as well the King's Cause touching the Matrimony as his refusal of the Pope's Jurisdiction so fully that nothing that needed to be opened was left unspoken as that Arch-bishop wrote himself to the King in his own Vindication And that the Auditory might be the greater he sent to York forthwith upon the receit of the Book to publish there that he would be there the next Sunday following and caused the Churches to make an end of their Service in such time as every Man might have opportunity to be at the Sermon and especially required the Mayor and his Brethren and one Mr. Magnus and Sir George Lawson his Majesty's Chaplains to be there And a very great Confluence there was Then the Arch-bishop preached from that Text Vxorem duxi c. Whence he took occasion to utter and declare both his foresaid Matters and the Injury done to the King's Highness by Pope Clement As the Convocation this Year had declared the Pope to have no Jurisdiction in this Kingdom so this would not serve the King till all the Learned and Spiritual Men in England had subscribed to it with their Hands The Arch-bishop's Church of Canterbury began For the Prior and Convent thereof moved and influenced not a little by their Diocesan solemnly subscribed an Instrument for abolishing the Pope's Supremacy and for acknowledgment of the King Supream Head of the Church of England under this Position Quod Romanus Episcopus non habet majorem aliqâ—am jurisdictionem a Deo sibi collatam in hoc regno
at Canterbury IN order to the bettering the State of Religion in the Nation the Arch-bishop's Endeavours both with the King and the Clergy were not wanting from time to time And something soon after fell out which afforded him a fair opportunity which was this The King resolving to vindicate his own Right of Supremacy against the Encroachments of Popes in his Dominions especially now the Parliament had restored it to him being at Winchester sent for his Bishops thither about Michaelmas ordering them to go down to their respective Diocesses and there in their own Persons to preach up the Regal Authority and to explain to the People the Reason of excluding the Pope from all Jurisdiction in these Realms Our Arch-bishop according to this Command speeds down into his Diocess to promote this Service for the King and the Church too He went not into the neerer parts of Kent about Otford and Knol where his most frequent Residence used to be because his Influence had a good effect for the Instruction of the People thereabouts in this as well as in other Points of sound Religion But he repaired into the East parts of his Diocess where he preached up and down upon the two Articles of the Pope's Usurpations and the King's Supremacy But the People of Canterbury being less perswaded of these Points than all his Diocess besides there in his Cathedral Church he preached two Sermons wherein he insisted upon three things I. That the Bishop of Rome was not God's Vicar upon Earth as he was taken Here he declared by what Crafts the Bishop of Rome had obtained his usurped Authority II. That the Holiness that See so much boasted of and by which Name Popes affected to be stiled was but a Holiness in Name and that there was no such Holiness at Rome And here he launched out into the Vices and profligate kind of living there III. He inveighed against the Bishop of Rome's Laws Which were miscalled Divinae Leges and Sacri Canones He said that those of his Laws which were good the King had commanded to be observed And so they were to be kept out of obedience to him And here he descended to speak of the Ceremonies of the Church that they ought not to be rejected nor yet to be observed with an Opinion that of themselves they make Men holy or remit their Sins seeing our Sins are remitted by the Death of our Saviour Christ. But that they were observed for a common Commodity and for good Order and Quietness as the Common Laws of the Kingdom were And for this Cause Ceremonies were instituted in the Church and for a remembrance of many good things as the King's Laws dispose Men unto Justice and unto Peace And therefore he made it a general Rule that Ceremonies were to be observed as the Laws of the Land were These Sermons of the Arch-bishop it seems as they were new Doctrines to them so they were received by them at first with much gladness But the Friars did not at all like these Discourses They thought such Doctrines laid open the Truth too much and might prove prejudicial unto their Gains And therefore by a Combination among themselves they thought it convenient that the Arch-bishop's Sermons should be by some of their Party confuted and in the same place where he preached them So soon after came up the Prior of the black Friars in Canterbury levelling his Discourse against the three things that the Arch-bishop had preached He asserted the Church of Christ never erred that he would not slander the Bishops of Rome and that the Laws of the Church were equal with the Laws of God This angry Prior also told the Arch-bishop to his Face in a good Audience concerning what he had preached of the Bishop of Rome's Vices that he knew no Vices by none of the Bishops of Rome And whereas the Arch-bishop had said in his Sermon to the People that he had prayed many Years that we might be separated from that See and that he might see the Power of Rome destroyed because it wrought so many things contrary to the Honour of God and the Wealth of the Realm and because he saw no hopes of amendment and that he thanked God he had now seen it in this Realm for this the Prior cried out against him that he preached uncharitably The Arch-bishop not suffering his Authority to be thus affronted nor the King's Service to be thus hindred convented the Prior before him before Christmass At his first examination he denied that he preached against the Arch-bishop and confessed that his Grace had not preached any thing amiss But sometime afterward being got free from the mild Arch-bishop and being secretly upheld by some Persons in the Combination he then said he had preached amiss in many things and that he purposely preached against him This created the Arch-bishop abundance of Slander in those parts The Business came to the King's Ears who seemed to require the Arch-bishop to censure him in his own Court But upon occasion of this the Arch-bishop wrote his whole Cause in a Letter to the King dated from his House at Ford 1535. Declaring what he had preached and what the other had preached in contradiction to him And withal entreated his Majesty that he the Arch-bishop might not have the judging of him lest he might seem partial but that he would commit the hearing unto the Lord Privy Seal who was Crumwel or else to assign unto him other Persons whom his Majesty pleased that the Cause might be jointly heard together He appealed to the King and his Council If the Prior did not defend the Bishop of Rome though he had said nothing else than that the Church never erred For then they were no Errors as he inferred that were taught of the Pope's Power and that he was Christ's Vicar in Earth and by God's Law Head of all the World Spiritual and Temporal and that all People must believe that de necessitate Salutis and that whosoever did any thing against the See of Rome is an Heretick But if these be no Errors then your Grace's Laws said he be Erroneous that pronounce the Bishop of Rome to be of no more Power than other Bishops and them to be Traitors that defend the contrary In fine in the stomach of an Arch-bishop and finding it necessary to put a stop to the ill designs of these Friars he concluded That if that Man who had so highly offended the King and openly preached against him being his Ordinary and Metropolitan of the Province and that in such Matters as concerned the Authority Mis-living and Laws of the Bishop of Rome and that also within his own Church if he were not looked upon he left it to the King's Prudence to expend what Example it might prove unto others with like colour to maintain the Bishop of Rome's Authority and of what estimation he the Arch-bishop should be reputed hereafter and what Credence would be
was at a stand He was translated from this imaginary Bishoprick to be Bishop of Oxford in the Year 1541. One Iohn Hatton had the Title of Episcopus Negropont He was Suffragan under the Arch-bishop of York Iohn Thornden who was several times Commissiary of Oxon while Arch-bishop Warham was Chancellor of that University was stiled Episcopus Syrinensis And hereafter in the progress of this Book we shall meet with a Bishop of Hippolitanum who assisted Arch-bishop Cranmer at his Ordinations These were but Titulary Bishops and the use of them was to supply the Diocesans absence to consecrate Churches and Church-yards and to reconcile them to assist at Ordinations and confer Orders to confirm Children and the like Sometimes these Suffragans had no Titles at all to any place but were Bishops at large Such an one named Richard Martin is met with in an old Register at Canterbury who was Guardian of the Gray-Fryars there By his last Will made 1498 he gave a Library to the Church and Covent He was Parson of Ickham and Vicar of Lyd in Kent and writ himself in the said Will Bishop of the Vniversal Church By which the Antiquarian supposed nothing else was meant but that he was a Bishop in Name endued with Orders but not with Jurisdiction Episcopal having no particular Charge to intend but generally officiating as Bishop in any part of the Christian Church This I have writ that the Reader may not be put to a stand when he shall in these Commentaries meet with some of these Titular Bishops But proceed we now to the Bishops that were this Year Consecrated Diocesan Bishops April the 11 th Nicholas Shaxton was consecrated Bishop of Sarum in the King's Chappel of S. Stephen by our Arch-bishop Iohn Bishop of Lincoln and Christopher Sidoniens assisting Septemb. the 15 th was the Act of Confirmation and Election of Edward Fox Elect of Hereford and of William Barlow Prior of the Priory of Canons Regular of Bisham of the Order of S. Augustin Sarum for the Bishoprick of S. Asaph The Consecration of these two last are not inserted in the Register March the 18 th the Act of Confirmation and Election of George Brown D. D. Provincial of the Order of Friars Augustin in the City of London for the Arch-bishoprick of Dublin Consecrated March the 19 th by the Arch-bishop at Lambeth Nicholas Bishop of Sarum and Iohn Bishop of Rochester assisting Of this last-mentioned Bishop I shall take some further notice having been the first Protestant Bishop in Ireland as Cranmer was in England a great furtherer of the Reformation in that Land being a stirring Man and of good Parts and Confidence He was first taken notice of by Crumwel Lord Privy Seal and by his sole means preferred to this Dignity in the Church of Ireland upon the observation that was taken of him when he was Provincial of the Augustin Order in England advising all People to make their Application only to Christ and not to Saints Whereby he was recommended unto K. Henry who much favoured him When the King's Supremacy was to be brought in and recognized in Ireland which was the same Year wherein he was made Arch-bishop he was appointed one of the King's Commissioners for the procuring the Nobility Gentry and Clergy to reject the Pope and to own the King for Supream Head of the Church In which Commission he acted with that diligence that it was to the hazard of his Life such opposition was made to it in that Realm At which time in an Assembly of the Clergy George Dowdal Arch-bishop of Ardmagh made a Speech to them and laid a Curse upon those whosoever they were that should own the King's Supremacy Within five Years after this this Arch-bishop Brown caused all Superstitious Relicks and Images to be removed out of the two Cathedrals in Dublin and out of the rest of the Churches in his Diocess and ordered the Ten Commandments the Lord's Prayer and the Creed to be set up in Frames above the Altar in Christ's-Church Dublin In K. Edward VI. his Reign he received the English Common-Prayer-Book into that Realm upon the King's Proclamation for that purpose after much opposition by Dowdal And it was read in christ's-Christ's-Church Dublin on Easter Day 1551. He preached also a Sermon in christ's-Christ's-Church for having the Scripture in the Mother-Tongue and against Image-worship And for this his forwardness and conformity in Religion and the perverseness of the other Arch-bishop of Ardmagh who had violently resisted all good Proceedings the Title of Primacy was taken from him and conferred upon the Arch-bishop of Dublin And Dowdal was banished or as others say voluntarily left his Bishoprick And then Goodacre sent from England with Bale for the See of Ossory succeeded In Q. Mary's days Dowdal was restored and being a great Man in this Reign expulsed Archbishop Brown from his See for being a married Man Who two or three Years after was succeeded by Hugh Corwin a Complier in all Reigns and Brown soon after died Suffragan Bishops The first of these standing in the Register of the Arch-bishop was the Suffragan of the See of Ipswich The Bishop of Norwich according to the direction of the late Act wherein the Bishop was to nominate two for Suffragan to the King and the King was to name one of them to the Arch-bishop to receive Consecration humbly signified to the King that he was destitute of the Aid of a Suffragan and so prayed him to appoint either George Abbot of the Monastery of S. Mary's of Leyston or Thomas Mannyng Prior of the Monastery of S. Mary's of Butley to be his Suffragan without mentioning for what place And on the 7 th of March in the 27 th of his Reign he sent to the Arch-bishop to make the latter Suffragan of Gipwich Who was accordingly consecrated by the Arch-bishop and invested in insigniis Episcopalibus Nicholas Bishop of Sarum and Iohn Bishop of Rochester assisting The Date not specified but probably on the same Day with the Consecration following there being the same Assistants The said Bishop of Norwich sent to the King recommending to him to be Suffragan Thomas de Castleacre of the Cluniac Order and Iohn Salisbury Prior of S. Faiths of Horsham of the Order of S. Benet both Priors of Monasteries in Norwich Diocess The King sent to the Arch-bishop to consecrate Iohn the Prior of S. Faiths for Suffragan of Thetford Accordingly he consecrated him March the 19 th Nicholas Bishop of Sarum and Iohn Bishop of Rochester assisting CHAP. X. The Audience Court THE good Arch-bishop almost every Year met with new Opposition from the Popish Clergy The late Act for abolishing the Pope's Authority and some Acts before that for restraining of Applications to Rome served them now as a Colour to strike at one of the Arch-bishop's Courts viz. that of the Audience a Court which the Arch-bishops used to hold in
Rochester by virtue of the Arch-bishop's Letters Commissional to him assisted by Robert Bishop of S. Asaph and Thomas Bishop of Sidon This More held the Monastery of Walden in Essex an House of Benedictines in Commendam where Audley-end now stands and surrendred it to the King 1539. CHAP. XIII The Bishops Book THE pious ABp thought it highly conducible to the Christian Growth of the common People in Knowledg and Religion and to disintangle them from gross Ignorance and Superstition in which they had been nursled up by their Popish Guides that the Ten Commandments the Lord's Prayer and the Creed and the Grounds of Religion should be explained soundly and orthodoxly and recommended unto their reading Wherefore he consulting with the Lord Crumwel his constant Associate and Assistant in such Matters and by his and other his Friends importuning the King a Commission was issued out from him in the Year 1537. to the Arch-bishop to Stokesly Bishop of London Gardiner of Winchester Sampson of Chichester Repps of Norwich Goodrick of Ely Latimer of Worcester Shaxton of Salisbury Fox of Hereford Barlow of S. Davids and other Bishops and Learned Divines to meet together and to devise an wholsome and plain Exposition upon those Subjects and to set forth a Truth of Religion purged of Errors and Heresies Accordingly they met at the Arch-bishop's House at Lambeth Their Course was that after they had drawn up their Expositions upon each Head and agreed thereto they all subscribed their Hands declaring their Consent and Approbation In the Disputations which happened among them in this Work Winchester the Pope's chief Champion with three or four other of the Bishops went about with all subtil Sophistry to maintain all Idolatry Heresy and Superstition written in the Canon Law or used in the Church under the Pope's Tyranny But at the last whether overpower'd with Number or convinced by the Word of God and consent of Ancient Authors and the Primitive Church they all agreed upon and set their Hands to a Godly Book of Religion Which they finished by the end of Iuly and staid for nothing but the Vicar-General's Order whether to send it immediately to him or that the Bishop of Hereford should bring it with him at his next coming to the Court But the Plague now raging in Lambeth and People dying even at the Palace-Doors the Arch-bishop desired Crumwel for the King's Licence to the Bishops to depart for their own Safety their Business being now in effect drawn to a Conclusion Soon after the Bishops and Divines parted and the Arch-bishop hastened to his House at Ford near Canterbury The Book was delivered by Crumwel to the King which he at his leisure diligently perused corrected and augmented And then after five or six Months assigned Crumwel to dispatch it unto the Arch-bishop that he might give his Judgment upon the King's Animadversions A Pursevant brought it to Ford. The Arch-bishop advisedly read and considered what the King had writ and disliking some things made his own Annotations upon some of the Royal Corrections there especially we may well imagine where the King had altered the Book in favour of some of the old Doctrines and Corruptions And when he sent it back again with those Annotations he wrote these Lines to Crumwel therewith on the 25 th day of Ianuary MY very singular good Lord After most hearty Commendations unto your Lordship these shall be to advertise the same That as concerning the Book lately devised by me and other Bishops of this Realm which you sent unto me corrected by the King's Highness your Lordship shall receive the same again by this Bearer the Pursevant with certain Annotations of mine own concerning the same Wherein I trust the King's Highness will pardon my Presumption that I have been so scrupulous and as it were a picker of Quarrels to his Grace's Book making a great Matter of every little Fault or rather where no Fault is at all Which I do only for this Intent that because now the Book shall be set forth by his Grace's Censure and Judgment I would have nothing therein that Momus could reprehend And I refer all mine Annotations again to his Grace's most exact Judgment And I have ordered my Annotations so by Numbers that his Grace may readily turn to every place And in the lower Margin of this Book next to the Binding he may find the Numbers which shall direct him to the Words whereupon I make the Annotations And all those his Grace's Castigations which I have made none Annotations upon I like them very well And in divers places I have made Annotations which places nevertheless I mislike not as shall appear by the same Annotations At length this Book came forth printed by Barthelet in the Year 1537 and was commonly called the Bishops Book because the Bishops were the Composers of it It was intituled The godly and pious Institution of a Christian Man and consisted of a Declaration of the Lord's Prayer and of the Ave Mary the Creed the Ten Commandments and the Seven Sacraments It was Established by Act of Parliament having been signed by the two Arch-bishops nineteen Bishops eight Arch-deacons and seventeen Doctors of Divinity and Law The Opinion that the Favourers of the Gospel had of this Book in those Times may appear by what I find in a Manuscript of the Life of this Arch-bishop by an unknown Author that wrote it soon after the said Arch-bishop's Death A godly Book of Religion not much unlike the Book set forth by K. Edward VI. except in two Points The one was the real Preâ—ence of Christ's Body in the Sacrament of the Altar Of the which Opinion the Arch-bishop was at that time and the most part of the other Bishops and learned Men. The other Error was of Praying Kissing and Kneeling before Images Which saith he was added by the King after the Bishops had set their Hands to the contrary But this Book came forth again two Years after viz. 1540. unless my Manuscript mistake this Year for 1543. very much enlarged and reduced into another Form and bearing another Name A necessary Doctrine and Erudition of any Christian Man And because the King had put it forth by his own Authority it was called now The King's Book as before it was called The Bishops But that none might be confounded in these Books he may know that there was in the Year 1536 another Book also called The Bishops Book upon the same reason that this was so called because the Arch-bishops and Bishops had the making thereof It was a Declaration against the Papal Supremacy written upon occasion of Pole's Book of Ecclesiastical Vnion mentioned before And in the Year 1533 there came forth another Book in Latin called The King's Book intituled The Difference between the Kingly and Ecclesiastical Power reported to be made as Bale writes by Fox the King's Almoner Which was translated into English
of two Houses of Religious Persons namely that of Christ's-Church Canterbury and that of Rochester Towards the latter end of this Year several new Bishopricks were founded out of old Monasteries and several Deaneries and Colleges of Prebends out of divers Priories belonging to Cathedral Churches Herein as Crumwel so Cranmer had a great Hand Who laboured with the King that in these New Foundations there should be Readers of Divinity Greek and Hebrew and Students trained up in Religion and Learning From whence as a Nursery the Bishops should supply their Diocesses with honest and able Ministers And so every Bishop should have a College of Clergy-men under his Eye to be preferred according to their Merits For it was our Arch-bishops regret that the Prebendaries were bestowed as they were This Complaint Bishop Burnet tells us he saw in a long Letter of Cranmer's own hand Bishops Confirmed In Arch-bishops Cranmer's Register I find these Bishops Confirmed their Consecrations being omitted August the 11 th Iohn Bell LL. D. brought up in Baliol College and Arch-deacon of Glocester was Confirmed Bishop of Worcester upon the Resignation of Bishop Latimer in the Chappel of Lambeth He is stiled in the Register the King's Chaplain and Councellor November the Iohn Skyp D. D. Arch-deacon of Dorset and once Chaplain to Queen Ann Boleâ— was Confirmed Bishop of Hereford The King's Letter to the Archbishop to consecrate him bears date November 8. CHAP. XX. The Arch-bishop in Commission THE next Year viz. 1540. The Arch-bishop lost his great Friend and Assistant in carrying on the Reformation I mean the Lord Crumwel And when he was by Popish Craft and Malice taken off their next Work was to sacrifice Cranmer And many were the Accusations that were put up against him and Trial was made many ways to bring him to his Death or at least to bring him in disgrace with the King And first they thought to compass their Ends against him by occasion of a Commission now issued out from the King to a select Number of Bishops whereof the Arch-bishop was one which Commission was confirmed by Act of Parliament for inspecting into Matters of Religion and explaining some of the chief Doctrines of it These Commissioners had drawn up a set of Articles favouring the old Popish Superstitions And meeting together at Lambeth they produced them and vehemently urged that they should be established and that the Arch-bishop would yield to the Allowance of them especially seeing there was a signification that it was the King's Will and Pleasure that the Articles should run in that Tenour But they could not win the Arch-bishop neither by Fear nor Flattery No though the Lord Crumwel at this very time lay in the Tower There was not one Commissioner now on his part but all shrank away and complied with the Time and even those he most trusted to viz. Bishop Hethe of Rochester and Bishop Skip of Hereford The Arch-bishop as he disliked the Book already drawn up by them so he presented another Book wherein were divers Amendments of theirs After much arguing and disputing nor could the Arch-bishop be brought off Hethe and Skip with a Friend or two more walked down with him into his Garden at Lambeth and there used all the Perswasion they could urging to him that the King was resolved to have iâ— so and the Danger therefore of opposing it But he honestly persisted in his constancy telling them That there was but one Truth in the Articles to be concluded upon which if they hid from his Majesty by consenting unto a contrary Doctrine his Highness would in process of Time perceive the Truth and see how colorably they had delt with him And he knew he said his Grace's Nature so well that he would never after credit and trust them And they being both his Friends he bad them beware in time and discharge their Consciences in maintenance of the Truth But though nothing of all this could stir them yet what he said sufficiently confirmed the Arch-bishop to persist in his Resolution The Arch-bishop standing thus alone went himself to the King and so wrought with him that his Majesty joined with him against all the rest of them and the Book of Articles past on his side When indeed this stifness of Canterbury was the very thing his Enemies desired thinking that for this Opposition the King would certainly have thrown him into the Tower and many Wagers were laid in London about it So that this ended in two good Issues that the Arch-bishop's Enemies were clothed with Shame and Disappointment and a very good Book chiefly of the Arch-bishop's composing came forth for the Instruction of the People known by the Name of A necessary Erudition of any Christian Man A particular Account whereof may be read in the History of the Reformation This vexed Winchester to the Heart that his Plot took no better Effect but he put it up till he should find other Opportunities to attack him which after happened as we shall see in the sequel of this Story But this Matter deserves to be a little more particularly treated of The King had as was said before appointed several of the Eminent Divines of his Realm to deliberate about sundry Points of Religion then in Controversy and to give in their Sentences distinctly And that in regard of the Germans who the last Year had sent over in Writing the Judgment of their Divines respecting some Articles of Religion and had offered his Majesty to appoint some of their Divines to meet some others of the King 's in any Place he should assign or to come over into England to confeâ— together And also in regard of a more exact review of the Institution of a Christian Man put forth about two or three Years before and now intended to be published again as a more perfect Piece of Religious Instruction for the People The King therefore being minded thorowly to sift divers Points of Religion then started and much controverted commanded a particular number of Bishops and other his Learned Chaplains and Dignitaries to compare the Rites and Ceremonies and Tenets of the present Church by the Scriptures and by the most Ancient Writers and to see how far the Scripture or good Antiquity did allow of the same And this I suppose he did by the instigation of Arch-bishop Cranmer The Names of the Commissioners were these Cranmer ABp of Canterbury Lee ABp of York Boner Bishop of London Tunstal Bishop of Durham Barlow Bishop of S. David's Aldrich Bishop of Carlisle Skyp Bishop of Hereford Hethe Bishop of Rochester Thirleby Bishop Elect of Westminster Doctors Cox Robinson Day Oglethorp Redman Edgeworth Symonds Tresham Leyghton Curwen Crayford Where we may wonder not to see the Name of the Bishop of Winton But if we consider the Reason the King gave why he left him out of the Number of his Executors viz. because as he told several
Passage of the Christmass Sermon hath a Cross struck through it Ridley the Prebendary was charged Sept. 22. 1543 that he preached at S. Stephens in the Rogation Week Anno Reg. 32. that Auricular Confession was but a meer positive Law and ordained as a godly Means for the Sinner to come to the Priest for Counsel but he could not find it in Scripture And that there was no meeter Terms to be given to the Ceremonies of the Church than to call them Beggarly Ceremonies That Te Deum hath been sung commonly in English at Herne where the said Mr. Doctor is Vicar Brooks one of the six Preachers was accused for preaching That all Masters and Mistresses were bound to eat Eggs Butter and Cheese in Lent to give Example to their Housholds to do the same This the Papists thought a breaking of Lent to allow this eating of White-meats whereas Fish only ought to be eaten And he thought that the Ceremonies of the Church were but Beggarly Ceremonies and that was the meetest Term he could give them Thomas Carden Vicar of Lime in a Lenten-Sermon Anno 1543 said He supposed S. Katharine was rather a Devil in Hell than a Saint in Heaven And that the People said naught and that this term was naught to say That they should receive their Maker at Easter but they should say we shall receive our Housel He preached That the Water in the Font is no better than other Water is Drum one of the six Preachers in the Year 1543 preached in a Sermon made in Christ's-Church that we may not pray in an Unknown Tongue for if we do we do but mock with God and of God we be mocked As if a Man do come to a Lord and babble to him words he knoweth not the Lord will but mock him and account him for a Fool. So thy Prayer Man not understood is but babbling and for that before God thou art but a Fool. Your Psalmody and Song in the Church is so taken with God if that you which do occupy your selves therein do not understand it And thou that so babblest dost break the Command of God For it is written Non accipies nomen Dei in vanum And you do call on God vainly when you do call upon him in a Tongue that you understand not Wherefore to such as know not the Latin it must be needful to pray in the Mother-Tongue Item That the Material Church is a thing made and ordained to content the Affections of Men and is not the thing that pleaseth God nor that God requires but is a thing that God doth tolerate for the weakness of Men. For as the Father contenteth his Child with an Apple or a Hobby-horse not because these things do delight the Father but because the Child ruled by Affections is more desirous of these things than the Father is rejoiced in the Deed So Almighty God condescending to the Infirmities of Man and his weakness doth tolerate material Churches gorgeously built and richly decked not because he requires or is pleased with such things This Drum was one of the Cambridg Men that Cardinal Wolsey transplanted into his College at Oxon and who suffered Imprisonment there some time after with Cox and Frith and divers others of the same College for Matters of Religion But however Drum afterwards fell away into Papistry Lancaster Parson of Pluckley useth not in the Church-porch any Hally Water according to the laudable Custom of the Church A great part of his Parish useth not to receive Hally Bread Going on Procession he useth not to rehearse Sancta Maria nor any other Saints Names The Curate of Much Mongam going on Procession refuseth and will in no wise sing nor say the Litany in such manner as all other Curates do All these Collections I have made out of the Original of this Visitation of the Arch-bishop Wherein may be seen the particular Matters in these Times vented and tossed about in the Pulpits the trifling way of Popish Preaching consisting in ridiculous lying Fables and Stories as is used still in the Popish Countries and with how much more Solidity Truth and Reason the Sermons of those who favoured the Gospel were replenished We may observe here also how diligent our Arch-bishop was in his care of his Diocess and the pains he took to come to a perfect Detection of his Clergy in order to their Regulation and divers other things which an ingenious Reader will take notice of The Arch-bishop had all the Prebendaries and Preachers before him in his Consistory at Croydon on Trinity-Sunday was twelve Month where he argued with them instructed rebuked exhorted them according as he saw needful for ever Man with relation unto the Articles above-said He told Serles who had preached in favour of Images in Churches as Representatives of Saints and not Idols That Imago Idolum was one thing but the one was the Latin the other the Greek To which Gardiner a Prebend of the Church replied That he did not think that an Image and an Idol was one but that an Image not abused with Honor is an Image and not an Idol This saying of the Arch-bishop did so gaul them that they took occasion after in their Sermons to confute it And they lyingly reported in Canterbury that the ABp should say He would be even with Gardiner or that Gardiner should repent his reasoning with him Whereas all that Cranmer said was that the Communication that Gardiner had that Day should be repeated again at his Grace's coming to Canterbury The same day the Archbishop told them that he had set in their Church six Preachers three of the old Learning and three of the New Now Gardiner told him he thought that would not be for the most quietness in Preachers The Arch-bishop replied that he had shewed the King's Grace what he had done in that Matter and that the King's Pleasure was that it should be so He then also gave them Warning that none should inveigh against others in their Sermons CHAP. XXVI A black Cloud over the Arch-bishop SOon after this a great and black Cloud hung over our Arch-bishop's Head that threatned to break upon him in Thunder and Lightning The Prebendaries and others of the Church of Canterbury for the most part were addicted to the Pope and the old Superstitions Which the Arch-bishop endeavouring to abolish and to bring in truer knowledg of Religion among them caused them to do what they could to oppose him And indeed they usually carried themselves disobligingly enough to him Which made him say to one of them viz. Gardiner alias Sandwich You and your Company hold me short but I will hold you as short They seemed now to have a fair Advantage against him upon account of the Statute of the Six Articles which the King at this time stood much upon the execution of and did give out that he required Justices and others his Officers in their several Places to give notice of
ever they did These Reports were digested into two or three Books Serles brought up some of the Articles roughly drawn to London and London transcribed them and brought them to the Bishop of Winchester and there they were copied out by German Gardiner his Secretary another busy Man Gardiner the Prebendary by this time had gotten a Book of Articles signed by the rest of the Prebendaries and Willoughby brought them up some of the Prebendaries coming up too being about to be the Presenters of the Book themselves Winchester and Baker Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations gave the said Prebendaries encouragement to proceed in what they went about And busy London to make the Articles the better entertained when they should be presented to the Council had officiously shewn the Copy of them to several of the said Council before-hand I must here give this further note concerning Serles that he was so zealous a Man that he had the Year before put up to the Council Articles against the Preachers of the Gospel But they were such that the Council thought not fit the King should see them Which he complained of and it seems at his return was clapt up in Prison for his pains for some either malicious Insinuations or irregular Practices herein Shether was another of the Gang and one of the forwardest in this invidious Business against the innocent Arch-bishop He was one of those that came up to London to present the Bill It may be guessed what a hot-headed Man he was by a passage we meet with concerning him when he was Proctor at Oxford in the Year 1535. In which Year he made such a Combustion betwixt the University and the Towns-men that they being enraged against him he went in danger of his Life So that he and his Company were fain to go armed when they went abroad And when he was out of his Proctorship the University allowed him to defend himself from the Towns-men at the University Charge if he should be set upon by them This Shether brought up also his Collections to one Ford his Brother-in-Law to write them out which amounted to a great Book of two days Labour For they were resolved to have enough and to make out in Bulk what was wanting in Truth Take an hint or two here of Gardiner Bishop of Winchester the secret Machine in all this ingrateful Work Coming once from the Council that then was beyond the Sea at Calais about the time of the Breach with France he after hearing Mass at the Cathedral Church at Canterbury took his Name-sake Gardiner the Prebendary by the Hand and asked him how he did and how they did in Canterbury meaning in relation to Religion professed in the City And when Gardiner answered But meetly he enquired How they did within the House among themselves with relation to the Church-men belonging to it He told him That they did not agree all in Preaching So do I hear said Winchester Then he asked wherein they did not agree Gardiner then repeated somewhat of Ridley's and Scory's Sermons and this among other things That Prayer ought to be made in a Tongue known and not in a Tongue unknown for so it were but babling Winchester then said He missed For the Germans themselves are now against that saying Well said he this is not well My Lord of Canterbury will look after this I doubt not or else such Preaching will grow unto an evil Inconvenience I know well he will see Remedy for it Well how do you do with them Gardiner replied My Lord Hardly I am much marked in my Sermons And I cannot tell whether I be taken or no. I pray your good Lordship of your Counsel what were best for me to do I had rather leave Preaching betimes than to be taken in my Sermons Then said Winchester Do thus Write your Sermons into a Book every word as you will preach it and when you go into the Pulpit deliver your Book unto the chiefest Man there that can read and let him take heed of your Book while you do preach and say no more but that you have written and studied for And I warrant you you shall do well enough And when you do hear any Man preach any otherwise then well hold you contented and meddle not so shall you do best Then he past forth his time in Communication concerning the Ordinances of their Choir their Statutes their Masses and Hours of them And at the last sent for Ridley the Prebendary and had some conference with him but what it is uncertain The bulky Articles being at last hammered out and made ready London now required Willoughby to deliver them to the Council which he would fain have shrunk from He then charged him upon his Allegiance to go with him to the Council-Chamber-Door meaning to have him into the Council Having gotten him there he went in and informed some of the Privy-Council and Friends I suppose to the Matter that Dr. Willoughby was without desiring he might be called in Willoughby was before instructed by London to use words to the Council to this Tenor when he should deliver his Articles viz. That the King and they had been at great Charges and taken great Pains to set a good and godly Way among them meaning the Statute of the Six Articles And for all that they had with them in Kent the most enormous Heresies And because he heard that it was the King's Will and Pleasure that every Man on pain of his Allegiance should bring in what he knew or else if he knew and did conceal it it should be his damage therefore in discharge of his Duty he came to tender that Bill of Articles But this Speech was not delivered that Day the Council not being at leisure And lest some People knowing the pragmatical temper of London might be jealous what he did at the Court and suspect it was for no Good to the Professors of the Gospel it was studiously given out that he was there for some Promotion from the King The next day the sedulous Man carried Willoughby to the Lord Privy-Seal Lord Russel if I mistake not with his Articles but neither would my Lord-Privy-Seal see them having no leisure as he pretended I suppose because he liked them not and loved my Lord of Canterbury The Day after London carried him to the Bishop of Winchester Into whom he went and tarried an Hour carrying in the Copy of the Articles In which time no question the Bishop and his trusty Substitute contrived for the managing of the Matter Soon after Willoughby being with Winchester and desiring him That he might not be put to present the Articles not being able to testify to the Truth of them Winchester bade him Fear not to do his Duty and that if the Matter were not to be abidden by the Doers should bear the blame and not the Presenter And that it was all our Duties to stand in such things
is but a Ceremony If it be wanting that King is yet a perfect Monarch notwithstanding and God's Anoined as well as if he was inoiled Now for the Person or Bishop that doth anoint a King it is proper to be done by the chiefest But if they cannot or will not any Bishop may perform this Ceremony To condition with Monarchs upon these Ceremonies the Bishop of Rome or other Bishops owning his Supremacy hath no Authority but he may faithfully declare what God requires at the Hands of Kings and Rulers that is Religion and Vertue Therefore not from the Bishop of Rome but as a Messenger from my Saviour Iesus Christ I shall most humbly admonish your Royal Majesty what Things your Highness is to perform Your Majesty is God's Vicegerent and Christ's Vicar within your own Dominions and to see with your Predecessor Iosias God truly worshipped and Idolatry destroyed the Tyranny of the Bishops of Rome banished from your Subjects and Images removed These Acts be Signs of a second Iosias who reformed the Church of God in his Days You are to reward Vertue to revenge Sin to justify the Innocent to relieve the Poor to procure Peace to repress Violence and to execute Justice throughout your Realms For Precedents on those Kings who performed not these Things the Old Law shews how the Lord revenged his Quarrel and on those Kings who fulfilled these things he poured forth his Blessings in abundance For Example it is written of Iosiah in the Book of the Kings thus Like unto him there was no King that turned to the Lord with all his Heart according to all the Law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him This was to that Prince a perpetual Fame of Dignity to remain to the End of Days Being bound by my Function to lay these Things before your Royal Highness the one as a Reward if you fulfil the other as a Judgment from God if you neglect them Yet I openly declare before the living God and before these Nobles of the Land that I have no Commission to denounce your Majesty deprived if your Highness miss in part or in whole of these Performances Much less to draw up Indentures between God and your Majesty or to say you forfeit your Crown with a Clause for the Bishop of Rome as have been done by your Majesty's Predecessors King Iohn and his Son Henry of this Land The Almighty God of his Mercy let the Light of his Countenance shine upon your Majesty grant you a prosperous and happy Reign defend you and save you and let your Subjects say Amen God save the King I find no Bishop Consecrated this Year CHAP. II. A Royal Visitation BY these and other pious Instigations of the Arch-bishop who was of high esteem with the King he began early to think of the Church and to take care about rectifying the Disorders of its Members For about April there was a Royal Visitation resolved upon all England over for the better Reformation of Religion And accordingly in the beginning of May Letters were issued out from the King to the Arch-bishops that they and all their Fellow-Bishops should forbear their Visitations as was usually done in all Royal and Archiepiscopal Visitations And it was enjoined that no Ministers should preach in any Churches but in their own In a Volume in the Cotton Library there be extant the King's Letters to Robert Arch-bishop of York relating to this Visitation signed by our Arch-bishop the Duke of Somerset the Protector and his Brother Sir Thomas Seymour the Lord Russel Favourers of the Reformation the Lord St. Iohns Petres the Secretary who went along with it Gage Controuler of the Houshold and Baker Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations back-Friends to it I do not set down the Letter it self because the Bishop of Sarum hath already published it in his History Very worthy sober and learned Men were appointed for Visitors both of the Laity and Clergy And there was a Book of Injunctions prepared whereby the King 's Visitors were to govern their Visitation The Original of which Book of Injunctions is extant in Benet-College Library There I have seen them being signed by Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Duke of Somerset Sir Thomas Seymour and divers others of the Privy-Council but no Bishop save Cranmer only he being I suppose the only Bishop then a Privy-Counsellor and now often appearing in the Council for the better forwarding of Religion These Injunctions are printed in Bishop Sparrow's Collection and briefly epitomized in the History of the Reformation The Persons nominated for this present Employment were these as I find them set down in a Manuscript formerly belonging to Arch-bishop Parker but now in the Benet-College Library Where you may observe the Visitors were divided into six Sets and to each Set were apportioned particular Counties and a Preacher and a Register in this exact Method following Visitors Added by ABp Parker Counties visited Dean of Westminster Boston York Sir Iohn Herseley Kt.  Durysme Nicholas Ridley Preacher  Carlyll Edward Plankney Register  Chester Sir Anthony Coke Kt.  Westminster Sir Iohn Godsalve Kt.   Dr. Christopher Nevison The Elder London Iohn Gosnold A Lawyer  Dr. Madewe Preacher  Norwich Peter Lylly Register  Ely Sir Iohn Hales Kt.  Rochester Sir Iohn Mason Kt.   Sir Anthony Cope Kt.  Canterbury Dr. Cave A Lawyer  Mr. Briggs Preacher Once of Pembroke Chichester Rafe Morice Register  Winchester Dean of Pauls Dr. May. Sarisbury Dean of Exeter Dr. Hains Exeter Sir Walter Buckler Kt.  Bath Mr. Cotisford Preacher  Bristow Iohn Redman Register Of Haslingfeld Glocester Dean of Lincoln Dr. Taylor Peterburgh Dr. Rowland Taylor  Lincoln Mr. Iohn Ioseph Once of Canterbury Oxford  a Friar Coventry Iohn Old Register  Litchfeld Mr. Morison Once Husband to the Earl of Rutland's Wife Worcester  Hereford Mr. Syddel  Landaff Mr. Ferrowr Preacher After L. Bishop of S. Davids S. Davids George Constantine Register  Bangor Hue Rawlins Preacher in the Welch Tongue  S. Asse Where we may observe that in every Company of Visitors was joined one Preacher or more whose Business in the respective Circuits was to preach to the People to dehort them from the superstitious use of Beads and such-like Things and to learn them to worship God truly in Heart and Mind and to obey the Prince The Method which these Commissioners used in their Visitation as we collect from what was done at S. Pauls London was this They summoned the Bishop and the Members of each Cathedral and first sware them to renounce the Bishop of Rome and to the King's Supremacy and then that they should present all things in their Church and Diocess needful to be reformed Then certain Interrogatories and Articles of Enquiry were read to them by the Register To perform which an Oath was administred to
of the Second omitted according to the use in those Times But that Commandment is explained under the first The Substance of this Book is grave serious and sound Doctrine It is said in the Title Page to be overseen and corrected by the Arch-bishop Indeed it was a Catechism wrote originally in the German Language for the use of the younger Sort in Norinberg Translated into Latin by Iustus Ionas Junior who now was entertained by the Arch-bishop in his Family and thence turned into our Vulgar Tongue by the said Arch-bishop or his special Order But 't is certain so great a Hand he had therein that in the Arch-bishop's first Book of the Sacrament he said that it was translated by himself and set forth Bishop Gardiner in his Book against the Arch-bishop takes advantage of two things in this Catechism against him as though he himself when he put it forth was of the Opinion of the Corporal Presence The one was a Picture that stood before the Book where was an Altar with Candles lighted and the Priest apparelled after the old Sort putting the Wafer into the Communicant's Mouth The other is an Expression or two used somewhere in the Book That with our bodily Mouths we receive the Body and Blood of Christ And that in the Sacrament we receive truly the Body and Blood of Christ. And this we must believe if we will be counted Christen Men. But to both Cranmer in his next Book against Gardiner made answer That as for the Picture it was that was set before the Dutch Edition of the Book and so none of his doing but that he afterwards caused the Popish Picture to be altered into a Picture representing Christ eating his last Supper with his Disciples As for the Expressions he said he taught that we in the Sacrament do receive the Body and Blood of Christ spiritually and that the words Really and Substantially were not used but Truly And in his Answer to Dr. Richard Smith's Preface wrote against the said Arch-bishop who it seems had twitted him also with this Catechism he spake largely of these his Expressions in his own Vindication There was another Book of the Arch-bishop's against Vnwritten Verities which I do by Conjecture place here as put forth under this Year or near this Time Which I suppose Dr. Smith nibbled at in his Book of Traditions which this Year he recanted The Book was in Latin and consisted only of Allegations out of the Bible and Ancient Writers In Queen Mary's Days the Book was again published by an English Exile naming himself E. P. The Title it now bore was A Confutation of Vnwritten Verities by divers Authorities diligently and truly gathered out of the Holy Scripture and Ancient Fathers By Tho. Cranmer late Arch-bishop and burned at Oxford for the Defence of the true Doctrine of our Saviour Translated and set forth by E. P. Before it is a Preface of the Translator to his Country-men and Brethren in England In it he lamented the woful State of Things in England by the Restoring of Popery and the Persecution of Protestants there and shewed what a kind of Man the chief Bishop then in England viz. Cardinal Pool was who in the last King's Reign went from Prince to Prince to excite them to make War against his own Prince and Country This Treatise is but a bare Collection of places of Holy Scripture and Ancient Fathers to prove That the Canon of the Bible is a true and sound and perfect Doctrine containing all Things necessary to Salvation That neither the Writing of the Old Fathers without the Word of God nor General Councils nor the Oracles of Angels nor Apparitions from the Dead nor Customs can be sufficient in Religion to establish Doctrine or maintain new Articles of Faith Then Reasons are given against Unwritten Verities and the places of Holy Scripture and other Writers which the Papists bring to maintain Unwritten Verities are answered At last the Objections of the Papists are confuted in a concluding Chapter Which last part was not writ by the Arch-bishop but by the Translator For relating here the Story of the Holy Maid of Kent he saith she was examined by Tho. Cranmer Arch-bishop of Canterbury And at last he saith I have plainly and fully answered to all that I remember the Papists do or can allege by Writing Preaching or Reasoning for the Defence of their Unwritten Verities on which they build so many detestable Idolatries and Heresies But yet if any be able to answer so plainly and truly to the Scriptures Authorities and Reasons rehearsed by me as I have done to theirs and to prove their Doctrines by as plain Testimonies and Reasons as I have done mine I shall not only acknowledg my Ignorance and Error but I shall gladly return into England recant my Heresies c. Hence it is plain that the Conclusion of the Book as well as the Preface was writ by the Translator I will add one Passage taken out of this Book about the middle whereby it may be seen what a Clergy was now in England Having quoted the Canons of the Apostles Let not a Bishop or Deacon put away his Wife c. He makes a heavy complaint against the frequent practice of beastly Sins in the Priests Adultery Sodomy c. and that they never were punished And in my Memory as he proceeds which is above thirty Years and also by the Information of others that be twenty Years elder than I I could never learn that one Priest was punished This is some Account of the Care he took for the Church in general as Metropolitan But he had a particular Care of his own Diocess now his Power was not checked as it was in the former Reign especially of the City of Canterbury which had been formerly the backwardest in Religion of any other Place of his Diocess He supplied this City with store of excellent Learned Preachers Turner the two Ridleys Becon Besely and Iohn Ioseph who this Year went along with the King's Visitors as one of their Preachers These converted not a few to sincere Religion as may appear by those Numbers of Canterbury that in Queen Mary's Reign suffered the Torment of Fire for their Profession of the Gospel But in that Reign all the Preachers fled so that there was scarce one remaining in the City Which was looked upon as a particular Sign of God's Displeasure against that Place because the Professors there and others reformed not themselves according to those Opportunities of Grace which God had put into their Hands And so I find in a Letter to them wrote by some eminent Person in Prison in Queen Mary's Reign Alas how few faithful Servants hath the Lord of Life in these troublesome Days within Canterbury to whom above all other People in comparison of multitude he hath sent most plenteously his Word in the Mouths of most excellent Preachers But even as the People were Negligent Hard-hearted nothing willing
Cause So that now if we look back upon this first Year of the King we may perceive how busy and diligent our Arch-bishop was in redressing Abuses and restoring the Church to its true State of Christian Piety and Devotion by procuring a Royal Visitation over England for inspection into the Manners and Abilities of the Clergy and for taking away of Superstitions by getting a Book of plain Homilies to teach the common People in the composing whereof he himself had a very great hand and Erasmus his Paraphrase in English upon the New Testament for the better furnishing the Clergy and others with a sound and sober understanding of the Scriptures and by encouraging Preachers and such-like means So that if you would particularly know in what forwardness the ABp had already put Religion taking in his Endeavours in the last King's Reign hitherto I recommend to your reading his Homily or Sermon Of Good Works Shewing out of what abundance of Superstitions the Church was now emerged Briefly to pass over the Ungodly and Counterfeit Religion he means of Monks and Friars let us reherse some other kinds of Papistical Superstitions and Abuses as of Beads of Lady-Psalters and Rosaries of fifteen O's of S. Bernard's Verses of S. Agathe's Letters of Purgatory of Masses Satisfactory of Stations and Jubilees of fained Relicks or hallowed Beads Bells Bread Water Psalms Candles Fire and such other Of superstitious Fastings of Fraternities or Brotherhoods of Pardons with such-like Merchandize Which were so esteemed or abused to the great Prejudice of God's Glory and Commandments that they were made most high and most holy Things whereby to obtain to the everlasting Life or Remission of Sins Yea also vain Inventions unfruitful Ceremonies and ungodly Laws Decrees and Conceits of Rome wherein such were advanced that nothing was thought comparable in Authority Wisdom Learning and Godliness unto them So that the Laws of Rome as they said were to be received of all Men as the four Evangelists To the which all the Laws of Princes must give place And the Laws of God also partly were left off and less esteemed that the said Laws Decrees and Councils with their Traditions and Ceremonies might be more duly kept and had in greater Reverence Thus were the People through Ignorance so blinded with the godly Shew and Appearance of those things that they thought the keeping of them to be more Holiness more perfect Service and honouring of God and more pleasing to God than the keeping of God's Commandments Such have been the corrupt Inclinations of Man ever superstitiously given to make new honouring of God of his own Head and then to have more Affection and Devotion to keep that than to search out God's Holy Commandments and to keep them And furthermore to take God's Commandments for Man's Commandments and Man's Commandments for God's Commandments yea and for the highest and most perfect and holiest of all God's Commandments And so was all confused that scant well-learned Men and but a small number of them knew or at the least would know and durst affirm the Truth to separate or sever God's Commandments from the Commandments of Men. Whereupon did grow such Error Superstition and Idolatry vain Religion overthwart Judgment great Contention with all ungodly Living A Bishop Consecrated September the 5 th being Sunday Nicolas Ridley D. D. Prebend of Canterbury was Consecrated Bishop of Rochester by Henry Bishop of Lincoln assisted by Iohn Suffragan of Bedford and Thomas Suffragan of Sidon in the Chappel belonging to the House of May Dean of S. Pauls He was Consecrated according to the old Custom of the Church by the Unction of holy Chrism as well as Imposition of Hands Present among others Iohn Whytwel the Arch-bishop's Almoner Rich. Tayler M. A. Nic. Bullingham Gregory Tod and Tho. Bernard his Chaplains CHAP. VIII The Church's Goods embezelled New Opinions broached AS the Reformation of Abuses in Religion went forward under such a King and such an Arch-bishop so there wanted not for Evils accompanying it as there do commonly the best Things the Profaneness of some and the Covetousness of others giving occasion thereunto Sacred Places set apart for Divine Worship were now greatly profaned and so probably had been before by ill Custom For in many Churches Cathedral as well as other and especially in London many Frays Quarrels Riots Blood-sheddings were committed They used also commonly to bring Horses and Mules into and through Churches and shooting off Hand-guns Making the same which were properly appointed to God's Service and Common-Prayer like a Stable or Common Inn or rather a Den or Sink of all Unchristiness as it was expressed in a Proclamation which the King set forth about this Time as I suppose for I am left to conjecture for the Date by reason of the Insolency of great Numbers using the said evil Demeanours and daily more and more encreasing Therein forbidding any such Quarrelling Shooting or bringing Horses and Mules into or through the Churches or by any other Means irreverently to use the Churches upon pain of his Majesty's Indignation and Imprisonment For it was not thought fit that when Divine Worship was now reforming the Places for the said Worship should remain unreformed Beside the profanation of Churches there prevailed now another Evil relating also to Churches viz. That the Utensils and Ornaments of these Sacred Places were spoiled embezelled and made away partly by the Church-wardens and partly by other Parishioners Whether the Cause were that they would do that themselves which they imagined would e're long be done by others viz. robbing the Churches Which it may be those that bore an Ill-will to the Reformation might give out to render it the more odious But certain it is that it now became more or less practised all the Nation over to sell or take away Chalices Crosses of Silver Bells and other Ornaments For the stopping of this in the Month of April the Protector and the Lords of the Council writ to our Arch-bishop this Letter upon the Information and Complaint as it is likely of the said Arch-bishop himself in whose Diocess especially this Sacrilege prevailed AFter our right hearty Commendations Whereas we are informed that the Church-wardens and Parochians of divers Parishes do alienate and sell away their Chalices Crosses of Silver Bells and other Ornaments of the Church Which were not given for that purpose to be alienated at their pleasure but either to be used to the Intent they were at first given or to some other necessary and convenient Service of the Church Therefore this is to will and require you immediately upon the sight hereof to give strait Charge and Commandment on the King's Majesty's behalf to every Parish-Church within your Diocess that they do in no wise sell give or otherwise alienate any Bells or other Ornaments or Jewels belonging unto their Parish-Church upon pain of his highest Displeasure as they will answer to the contrary at
Riot in the University and thereby to endanger the King's Professor and was therefore got away into Scotland conscious likewise to himself of Calumnies and Wrongs done by him against the Arch-bishop some time after wrote to the Arch-bishop a submissive Letter praying him to forgive all the Injuries he had done his Grace and to obtain the King's Pardon for him that he might return Home again And he promised to write a Book for the Marriage of Priests as he had done before against it That he was the more desirous to come Home into England because otherwise he should be put upon writing against his Grace's Book of the Sacrament and all his Proceedings in Religion being then harboured as he would make it believed by such as required it at his Hands But in Q. Mary's Days he revolted again and was a most zealous Papist and then did that indeed which he gave some Hints of before for he wrote vehemently against Cranmer's Book But from Oxford let us look over to Cambridg Where Disputations likewise were held in the Month of Iune before the King's Commissioners who were Ridley Bishop of Rochester Thomas Bishop of Ely Mr. Cheke Dr. May and Dr. Wendy the King's Physician The Questions were That Transubstantiation could not be proved by Scripture nor be confirmed by the Consent of Antient Fathers for a thousand Years past And that the Lord's Supper is no Oblation or Sacrifice otherwise than a Remembrance of Christ's Death There were three Solemn Disputations In the first Dr. Madew was Respondent and Glyn Langdale Sedgwick and Yong Opponents In the Second Dr. Glyn was Respondent on the Popish side Opponents Pern Grindal Guest Pilkington In the third Dr. Pern was Respondent Parker Pollard Vavasor Yong Opponents After these Disputations were ended the Bishop of Rochester determined the Truth of these Questions ad placitum suum as a Papist wrote out of whose Notes I transcribe the Names of these Disputants Besides these Disputations when Bucer came to Cambridg he was engaged in another with Sedgwick Pern and Yong upon these Questions I. That the Canonical Books of Scripture alone do teach sufficiently all things necessary to Salvation II. That there is no Church in Earth that erreth not as well in Faith as Manners III. That we are so freely justified of God that before our Justification whatsoever good Works we seem to do have the Nature of Sin Concerning this last he and Yong had several Combates Which are set down in his English Works As to Bucer's Opinion of the Presence in the Sacrament the great Controversy of this Time it may not be amiss to consider what so great a Professor thought herein and especially by what we saw before that Martyr and he did somewhat differ in this Point For as he would not admit those words Carnally and Naturally so neither did he like Realiter and Substantialiter Bucer's Judgment drawn up by himself sententiously in 54 Aphorisms may be seen in the Appendix as I meet with it among Fox's Papers It is extant in Latin among his Scripta Anglicana and intitled Concessio D. M. Buc. de Sancta Eucharistia in Anglia Aphoristicos scripta Anno 1550. And so we take our leave of Bucer for this Year We shall hear of him again in the next CHAP. XV. Matters of the Church and its State now LET me now crave a little room to set down some Matters that relate to the Church coming within the compass of this Year which will shew what mean Advances Religion as yet had made in the Nation Divers Relicks of Popery still continued in the Nation by means partly of the Bishops partly of the Justices of Peace Popishly affected In London Bishop Boner drove on but heavily in the King's Proceedings though he outwardly complied In his Cathedral Church there remained still the Apostles Mass and our Lady's Mass and other Masses under the Defence and Nomination of our Lady's Communion used in the private Chappels and other remote places of the same Church tho not in the Chancel contrary to the King's Proceedings Therefore the Lord Protector and others of the Council wrote to the Bishop Iune 24. Complaining of this and ordering that no such Masses should be used in S. Paul's Church any longer and that the Holy Communion according to the Act of Parliament should be ministred at the high Altar of the Church and in no other place of the same and only at such times as the high Masses were wont to be used except some number of People for their necessary Business desired to have a Communion in the Morning and yet the same to be exercised in the Chancel at the high Altar as was appointed in the Book of Publick Service Accordingly Boner directed his Letters to the Dean and Chapter of Paul's to call together those that were resident and to declare these Matters As it was thus in London so in the Countries too many of the Justices were slack in seeing to the execution of the King's Laws relating not only to Religion but to other Affairs And in some Shires that were further distant the People had never so much as heard of the King's Proclamation by the Default of the Justices who winked at the Peoples neglect thereof For the quickening of the Justices of Peace at this time when a Foreign Invasion was daily expected and Foreign Power was come into Scotland to aid that Nation against England the Lord Protector and the Privy-Council assembled at the Star-Chamber and called before them all the Justices which was a thing accustomed sometimes to be done for the Justices to appear before the King and Council there to have Admonitions and Warnings given them for the discharge of their Duty And then the Lord Chancellor Rich made a Speech to them That they should repair down into their several Countries with speed and give warning to other Gentlemen to go down to their Houses and there to see good Order and Rule kept that their Sessions of Goal-delivery and Quarter-Sessions be well observed that Vagabonds and seditious Tale-bearers of the King or his Council and such as preached without Licence be repress'd and punished That if there should be any Uproars or Routs and Riots of lewd Fellows or privy Traitors they should appease them And that if any Enemy should chance to arise in any Place of England they should fire the Beacons as had been wrote to them before and repulse the same in as good Array as they could And that for that purpose they should see diligently that Men have Horse Harness and other Furniture of Weapon ready And to the Bishops the Council now sent Letters again for Redress of the Contempt and Neglect of the Book of Common-Prayer which to this time long after the publishing thereof was either not known at all to many or very irreverently used Occasioned especially by the winking of the Bishops and the stubborn Disobedience
him in these things to dispense with him But the Arch-bishop for certain Reasons refused it Then was the Arch-bishop solicited by great Men. The Earl of Warwick afterwards the great Duke of Northumberland wrote to him a Letter dated Iuly 23 the Bearer whereof was Hoper himself that the rather at his Instance he would not charge the Bishop Elect of Gloucester with an Oath burthenous to his Conscience Which was I suppose the Oath of Canonical Obedience And when Hoper had sued to the King either to discharge him of the Bishoprick or that he might be dispensed with in the Ceremonies used in Consecration which he knew the Arch-bishop could not do no more than to dispense with the Laws of the Land whereby he should run into a Premunire the King wrote a Letter to Cranmer dated Aug. 5 therein freeing him of all manner of Dangers Penalties and Forfeitures that he might incur by omitting those Rites but yet by any thing that appears in the Letter without any urging or perswasion used to the Arch-bishop to omit the said Rites leaving that to his own Discretion But the Arch-bishop thought the King 's bare Letters were not sufficient to secure him against established Laws When this would not do then endeavour was used to satisfy Hoper's Conscience And Ridley Bishop now of London was thought for his great Learning to be a fit Person to confer with him There were long Arguings between them and at last it came to some Heats And Hoper still remained resolved not to comply holding it if not unlawful yet highly inexpedient to use those very Vestments that the Papal Bishops used The Council upon this sent for Hoper and because they would in no wise the stirring up of Controversies between Men of one Profession willed him to cease the Occasion hereof Hoper humbly besought them that for Declaration of his Doings he might put in Writing such Arguments as moved him to be of the Opinion he held Which was granted him These Arguments it seems were communicated to Ridley to answer And October the 6 th the Council being then at Richmond the Arch-bishop present they wrote to the Bishop of London commanding him to be at Court on Sunday next and to bring with him what he should for Answer think convenient In the mean time to bring the Question to more Evidence and Satisfaction the Arch-bishop according to his Custom to consult in Religious Matters with the learnedest Men of other Nations wrote to Cambridg to Martin Bucer for his Judgment Who upon occasion of this Controversy wrote two Epistles one to Hoper and another to the Arch-bishop both de re Vestiariâ That to the latter was in answer to these two Queries which Cranmer had sent for his Resolution about I. Whether without offending of God the Ministers of the Church of England may use those Garments which are now used and prescribed to be used by the Magistrates II. Whether he that affirms it Unlawful or refuseth to use these Garments sinneth against God because he saith that is Unclean which God hath sanctified and against the Magistrate who commandeth a political Order Bucer to both these Questions gave his Resolution in the Affirmative in his Answer to the Arch-bishop dated Decemb. 8. But he thought considering how the Habits had been Occasion to some of Superstition and to others of Contention that it were better at some good Opportunity wholly to take them away Besides Bucer's Letter to Hoper from Cambridg mentioned before P. Martyr from Oxon wrote him a large Letter dated Novemb. 4. For both these good Men were desirous that Hoper should have Satisfaction that so useful a Man might come in place in the Church To both these Hoper had wrote and sent his Arguments against the Episcopal Vestments by a Messenger dispatched on purpose Martyr told him That he took much delight in that singular and ardent Study that appeared in him that Christian Religion might again aspire to a chaste and pure Simplicity That for his part he could be very hardly brought off from that simple and pure Way which he knew they used a great while at Strasburgh where the difference of Garments in Holy Things was taken away And so he prayed God it might continue Thus he said Hoper might see that in the Sum they both agreed together he wishing for that which Hoper endeavoured That in Rites he was for coming as near as possible to the Sacred Scripture and for taking Pattern by the better Times of the Church But yet that he could not be brought by his Arguments to think that the use of Garments was destructive or in their own Nature contrary to the Word of God A Matter which he thought to be altogether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that therefore indifferent Things as they were sometimes to be taken away so might be used And that if he had thought this were wicked he would never have communicated with the Church of England That there might be some great Good follow from the use at present of the Garments namely that if we suffered the Gospel to be first preached and well rooted Men would afterwards better and more easily be perswaded to let go these outward Customs But now when a Change is brought in of the necessary Heads of Religion and that with so great difficulty if we should make those things that are indifferent to be impious so we might alienate the Minds of all that they would not endure to hear solid Doctrine and receive the necessary Ceremonies That there was no doubt England owed much to him for his great pains in Preaching and Teaching And in return he had gained much Favour and Authority in the Realm whereby he was in a Capacity of doing much Good to the Glory of God Only he bad Hoper take heed that by unseasonable and too bitter Sermous he became not an Hindrance to himself Besides that by looking upon these indifferent Things as sinful and destructive we should condemn many Gospel-Churches and too sharply tax very many which anciently were esteemed most famous and celebrated And whereas there were two Arguments that made Hoper ready to charge the use of these Vestments to be not indifferent he proceeded to consider them One was this That this would be to call back again the Priesthood of Aaron The other That they were Inventions of Antichrist and that we ought to be estranged not only from the Pope but from all his Devices But as to the former he shewed him That the Apostles for Peace-sake commanded the Gentiles to abstain from Blood and Fornication which were Aaronical Customs And so are Tithes for the maintenance of the Clergy Psalms and Hymns can scarce be shewn to be commanded in the New Testament to be sung in publick Assemblies which are very manifest to be used in the Old That there are not a few things that our Church hath borrowed from the Mosaical Decrees and that
even from the very first Times The Festivals of the Resurrection of the Nativity of Pentecost and of the Death of Christ are all Footsteps of the Old Law And are they to be therefore abolished He wished with all his Heart that the Churches in Germany by this one Loss might obtain their former Liberty As to the second Argument He could not see how it could be asserted upon good Grounds that nothing is to be used by us that is observed in the Popish Religion We must take heed that the Church of God be not prest with too much Servitude that it may not have liberty to use any thing that belonged to the Pope Our Ancestors took the Idol-Temples and used them for Sacred Houses to worship Christ. And the Revenues that were Consecrated to the Gentile Gods and to the Games of the Theatre and of the Vestal Virgins were made use of for the maintenance of the Ministers of the Church when these before had served not only to Antichrist but to the Devil Nor could he presently grant that these Differences of Garments had their Original from the Pope For we read in Ecclesiastical History that Iohn at Ephesus wore a Petalum a Mitre And Pontius Diaconus saith of Cyprian that when he went to be Executed he gave his Birrus to the Executioner his Dalmatica to the Deacons and stood in Linnen And Chrysostom makes mention of the white Garments of Ministers And the Ancients witness that when the Christians came to Christ they changed their Garments and for a Gown put on a Cloak for which when they were mocked by the Heathens Tertullian wrote a Learned Book De Pallio And he knew Hoper was not ignorant that to those that were initiated in Baptism was delivered a white Garment Therefore before the Tyranny of the Pope there was a Distinction of Garments in the Church Nor did he think that in case it were granted that it was invented by the Pope that the iniquity of Popery was so great that whatsoever it touched was so dyed and polluted thereby that good and godly Men might not use it to any holy purpose Hoper himself granted that every humane Invention was not therefore presently to be Condemned It was an humane Invention to communicate before Dinner it was an humane Invention that the things sold in the Primitive Church were brought and laid at the Apostles Feet That he was ready to confess with him that these Garments were an humane Invention and of themselves edified not but it was thought by some conducive to be born with for a time For that it might be a cause of avoiding those Contentions whereby greater Benefits might be in danger to be obstructed But that if hence an occasion of Erring might be given to the Weak they were to be admonished that they should hold these things indifferent and they were to be taught in Sermons that they should judg not God's Worship to be placed in them Hoper had writ that the Eyes of the Standers-by by reason of these Garments would be turned away from thinking of serious things and detained in gazing upon them But this would not happen when the Garments were simple and plain without Bravery and such as hitherto were used in the Service of God But Martyr answered That Use and Custom would take away Admiration And perhaps when the People were moved with Admiration they would the more attentively think of those things that are serious For which end he said the Sacraments seemed to be invented that from the Sight and Sense of them we might be carried to think of Divine Things Hoper urged moreover That whatsoever was not of Faith was Sin But said Martyr That we may enjoy a quiet Conscience in our Doings that of the Apostle seems much to tend and that to the Clean all things are clean saith the same Apostle to Titus and to Timothy that every Creature of God is good He urged also That we ought to have express Scripture for what we do in holy things But Martyr was not of that Mind But that that was enough in general to know by Faith that indifferent things cannot defile those who act with a pure and sincere Mind and Conscience And this was the substance of P. Martyr's Judgment of these things Which might give much light to that Reverend Man in this Controversy though he was not yet convinced nor could comply As Hoper all this while refused the Habits so we may conjecture by a Passage in the former Letter that he liberally declamed against them in the London Pulpits For Martyr takes notice to him of his unseasonable and too bitter Sermons Whether it were for this or his incompliance or both together I know not but at length he was by the Privy-Counsel commanded to keep his House unless it were to go to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury or the Bishops of Ely London or Lincoln for Counsel and Satisfaction of his Conscience and neither to Preach nor Read till he had further Licence from the Council But notwithstanding this Command he kept not his House and writ a Book and Printed it intituled A Confession of his Faith Written in such a manner that it gave more distaste and wherein was contained Matter he should not have written He went about also complaining of the King's Councellors as Martyr wrote in a private Letter to Bucer On Ianuary the 13 th The Court then at Greenwich he appeared there before the Council the Arch-bishop being then present touching the matter of not wearing the Apparel and for disobeying the Council Who for this Disobedience and for that he continued in his former Opinion of not wearing the Apparel prescribed for Bishops to wear committed him to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury's Custody either there to be reformed or further punished as the obstinacy of his Cause required Being with the Arch-bishop he did his endeavour to satisfy him But Hoper was as immoveable to whatsoever the said ABp could propound and offer as he was before with Ridley So the Arch-bishop signified to the Council that he could bring him to no Conformity but that he declared himself for another way of Ordination than was established The Effect of this was that on Ianuary 27 Upon this Letter of the Arch-bishop That Hoper could not be brought to any Conformity but rather persevering in his Obstinacy they are the words of the Council-Book coveted to prescribe Orders and necessary Laws of his Head it was agreed that he should be committed to the Fleet. And a Letter was drawn for the Arch-bishop to send Mr. Hoper to the Fleet upon the occasion aforesaid and another Letter to the Warden of the Fleet to receive him and to keep him from the Conference with any Person saving the Ministers of that House This Disobedience of Hoper to the Council's Orders will make the severity of the Council less liable to censure Neither was Cranmer any other ways
things should be put in the same posture they were before To which the College by Dr. Haddon's elegant Pen wrot an Answer That as to their abolishing Masses they said they were private Masses and the Statutes of the College did seem to enjoin only Masses wherein was a Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. That that was not Perjury when by the common Consent of the College some minuter Matters of the Statutes were changed That had he himself been there he would have done as they did considering the Reports that came from the Court brought by Witnesses worthy of Credit And that as for their Disputations they urged that it was free for them to dispute Matters controverted for better Inquiry into the Truth And that it was done with Lenity without any perversness of Speech He had a younger Brother named William who was above forty Years after Bishop of Winton This Man was a Scholar of the College while his Brother was Provost and Bishop To whom he sent once a Request to supply him with a little Money to buy him some Books and other Necessaries he stood in need of at that time His Brother answered him knowing him to be well affected to the Gospel That for his part he held it not fit to relieve those that were not of the True Church and therefore he would not in any wise relieve him Thus had his Religion destroyed in him the very Principles of Nature This Bishop had been a vehement Asserter of Transubstantiation yet in April 1550. he preached against it at Westminster which King Edward thought fit to take notice of in his Journal and he complied and went along with all the Steps of the Reformation till the declining of this Year 1550 when the Matter of taking down Altars was set on Foot For then it seems either there was a Prospect that the Reformation carring on would have a Stop or it was secretly agreed among the Popishly affected now to fall off In Queen Mary's Days he was a mighty busy Man and one of the Commissioners for the examination and condemning to Death the Professors of Religion When in Conference with Bradford that Holy Man had charged him for departing from the Reformed Church as it was in King Edward's Days he told him That he was but a young Man and yet in the first Year of that King he was five or six and forty Years of Age and that coming from the University he went with the World But it was always against his Conscience He could it seems dispense with his Conscience upon Occasion and yet what a Man of Conscience was he when Altars were to be pulled down He sat a Commissioner upon Hoper together with Winchester London Durham and Landaff and however gently he had been used in his Trouble that was forgot and he treated that Reverend Man most rudely undecently falling upon him with foul Words and with a scornful Countenance calling him Hypocrite CHAP. XXI Papists grow bold Loose Professors restrained THUS indeed when the Papists found they could not prevail by outward Force which they had tried to the utmost the last Year they now used other Arts. One among the rest was to libel the Government and disperse scurrilous Rhimes and Ballads upon the Preachers One of these was this Year fastned upon the Pulpit of some eminent Church probably of S. Paul's Which nevertheless soon had an Answer to it And not long after a more witty Ballad was put abroad glancing as it seems at the Arch-bishop upon occasion of the Liberty of reading the Bible and of the English Service and the publishing the Homily-Book and other good Books Whipping the Government under the Person of one Iohn No-body because that notwithstanding all these religious Pretences there was so much Sin Lechery Adultery Bribery and want of Charity A tast of this their Poetry I have put into the Appendix because some probably may be so Curious as to peruse the Fancy of that Age. The Papists were at this Juncture very bold whether it were that they had taken up a Conceit that the old Religion would be again restored upon the Disgrace of the Duke of Somerset or upon some other Reasons To stay these Men the Council as they had proceeded before against some Popish Bishops so they thought fit to use some Rigors towards others noted to be the forwardest Men. One of these was Dr. Chedsey who was one of the Disputants against P. Martyr the King's Professor He took now upon him to preach openly at Oxford against the Steps of the Reformation that were made and making Wherefore March 16 he was commited to the Marshalsea for seditious Preaching Where he lay till November the 11 th 1551. And then he was ordered to be brought to the Bishop of Ely's where he enjoyed his Table and an easier Restraint March 19. Serjeant Morgan was committed to the Fleet for hearing Mass in the Lady Mary's Chappel March 22 Sir Anthony Brown was committed to the Fleet for the same Offence And three days after viz. March 25. Mr. White Warden of Winchester appeared before the Council and confessed that he had divers Books and Letters from beyond Sea and namely from one Martyn a Scholar there who opposed the King's Majesty's Proceedings utterly And it being manifest that he had consented to things of that sort in such wise that greater Practices were thought to be in him that ways he was committed to the Tower where lying for some months he shewed better Conformity in Matters of Religion So that in Iune 14 1551. The Council wrote a Letter to the Arch-bishop that he should send to the Lieutenant of the Tower for Mr. White to be brought to him and with him to remain till such time as he should reclaim him Which being done he was to be sent back again to the Tower until the King's Majesty's further Pleasure upon his Lordship's Certificate of his Proceedings with him This White however he complied now was in Queen Mary's Reign made Bishop successively of Lincoln and Winchester and preached that Queen's Funeral Sermon and was deprived by the next Queen for refusing Conformity to the Religion then established And while the Papists on one hand were so busy in promoting their Ends there were a looser sort of Professors of Religion disgraced the Reformation on the other For some there were that took the liberty of meeting together in certain Places and there to propound odd Questions and vent dangerous Doctrines and Opinions Of these also the Council having notice they thought it very fit to discountenance and restrain them Ianuary 27. A number of Persons a sort of Anabaptists about sixty met in a House on a Sunday in the Parish of Bocking in Essex where arose among them a great Dispute Whether it were necessary to stand or kneel bare-head or covered at Prayers and they concluded the Ceremony not to be material
but that the Heart before God was required and nothing else Such other like warm Disputes there were about Scripture There were likewise such Assemblies now in Kent These were looked upon as dangerous to Church and State And two of the Company were therefore taken and Committed to the Marshalsea and Orders were sent to apprehend the rest viz. to Sir George Norton Sheriff of Essex to apprehend and send up to the Council those Persons that were assembled for Scripture Matters in Bocking Nine of them were named being Cowherds Clothiers and such like mean People The like Order was sent to Sir Edward Wotton and to Sir Thomas Wyat to apprehend others of them seven whereof are named living in Kent February 3. Those that were apprehended for the meeting at Bocking appeared before the Council and confessed the Cause of their Assembly to be For to talk of the Scriptures that they had refused the Communion for above two Years and that as was judged upon very superstitious and erroneous Purposes with divers other evil Opinions worthy of great Punishment Whereupon five of them were committed and seven of them were bound in Recognizance to the King in forty pound each Man The Condition to appear when they should be called upon and to resort to their Ordinaries for resolution of their Opinions in case they had any Doubt in Religion CHAP. XXII Foreigners allowed Churches A Lasco WE shall now shew a remarkable Instance of the ABp's Episcopal Piety in the care he took of the Souls of Foreigners as well as of the Native English For in King Edward's Reign there were great numbers of Stangers in the Realm French Dutch Italians Spaniards who abode here upon divers Occasions some for Trade and Commerce and some no doubt to be secret Spies and Promoters of the Pope's Affairs and to hinder the Propagation of the Religion But the most were such as fled over hither to escape the Persecutions that were in those Times very violently set on foot in their respective Countries and to enjoy the Liberty of their Consciences and the free Profession of their Religion Our Prelate had a chief hand in forming these Strangers into distinct Congregations for the Worship of God and in procuring them convenient Churches to meet in and setting Preachers of their own over them to instruct them in the true Religion Cecyl and Cheke joining with him in this pious Design and furthering it at Court with the King and Duke of Somerset And this they did both out of Christian Charity and Christian Policy too this being a probable means to disperse the Reformed Religion into Foreign Parts That when any of these Strangers or their Children should return into their own Country they might carry the tincture of Religion along with them and sow the Seeds of it in the Hearts of their Country-men IOHN A-LASCO POLANDER First Pastor of the DUTCH Church in ENGLAND Regn. Edw. 6. Being arrived at Embden he writ to the Arch-bishop relating all Passages that he knew concerning the State of Affairs and particularly of Religion in those Parts desiring him to impart them to the Protector He write also unto Cecyl his Letter bearing date in April 1549 referring him to the Protector 's Letters and withal acquainting him in what a ticklish and dangerous Condition they were That they certainly expected the Cross that they did mutually exhort one another to bear it with invocation upon God's Holy Name that by Patience and Faith they might overcome all whatsoever God should permit to be done against them to the Glory of his Name or for their Trial. They were sure he had a care of them and that he was so powerful that he could in a moment by a Word of his Mouth dash in pieces all the Forces of their Enemies whatsoever they were And that he was so good that he would not suffer so much as an Hair without cause to fall from their Head altho the whole World should make an Assault upon them And that he could no more wish them Harm than a Mother could her own Infant or any one the Apple of his own Eye yea no more than he himself could not be God Who was to be praised in all things whatsoever happened to them since he permitted nothing to fall out to them but for their Good and so for their Welfare And that therefore they committed themselves wholly to him and did expect with all Toleration whatsoever he should allow to be done to them In this pious manner did A Lasco write to Cecyl and no doubt in the same Tenour to the Arch-bishop This made a very great Impression upon the Godly Hearts of them both and caused them vigorously to use their Interest with the Protector to provide a safe Retreat for him and his Congregation Which was obtained for them soon after His whole Letter in a hansome Latin Stile as some Memorial of him I have reposited in the Appendix Latimer also made way for his Reception who in one of his Sermons before K. Edward made honourable mention of him using an Argument proper for that Audience namely How much it would tend to the bringing down God's Blessing on the Realm to receive him and such pious Exiles as he Iohn a Lasco was here a great Learned Man and as they say a Noble-Man in his Country and is gone his way again If it be for lack of Entertainment the more pity I could wish such Men as he to be in the Realm For the Realm should prosper in receiving them He that receiveth you receiveth me said Christ. And it should be for the King's Honour to receive them and keep them It was but a little after the King had received this Congregation of Foreigners into England and had granted them a Church viz. St. Augustins but great Contest happen'd among them about their Church yielded them for their religious Worship This P. Martyr took notice of with grief to Bucer and addeth That their Minds were so implacable to one another that the Difference was fain to be referred to the Privy-Council to make an end of But not to leave our Superintendent yet A Lasco with his Strangers being settled at London and incorporated by the King's Patents being their chief Pastor and a stirring Man was very industrious to procure and maintain the Liberties and Benefits of his Church The Members thereof had planted themselves chiefly in S. Katharines and in great and little Southwark Here they were now and then called upon by the Church-wardens of their respective Parishes to resort to their Parish Churches though the Ministers themselves did not appear in it In the Month of November Anno 1552 some of these Strangers inhabiting the parts of Southwark were again troubled by their Church-wardens and threatned with Imprisonment unless they would come to Church Whereupon their Superintendent A Lasco applied himself to the Lord Chancellor who then was Goodrich Bishop of
Ely By the way one might enquire why he resorted not rather to his Friend and Patron the Arch-bishop of Canterbury But the reason may soon be guessed namely That after the Fall of Somerset the Arch-bishop's good Friend he came not so often to Court or transacted Business there unless sent for knowing his Interest likewise to be but little with the Duke of Northùmberland who now bare all the Sway and who had a jealous Eye of him as he had of all Somerset's Friends And so the Arch-bishop might have rather hindred than forwarded A Lasco's Business if he had appeared in it But this en passent The Chancellor gently received A Lasco and dismissing him sent him to Secretary Cecyl with this Message to get him to propound the Business the next Day in the Afternoon at the Council-Board when himself should be there promising him likewise that he would be assistant to him in procuring him a Warrant in Writing to be directed to all Ministers and Church-wardens of the Parishes of Southwark and S. Katharines that for the time to come the Strangers of this Congregation should receive no Molestation in that regard any more Accordingly A Lasco the next Morning sent one of the Elders of his Church to Cecyl with his Letter excusing himself that he came not being grievously afflicted with a Pain in his Head Therein he acquainted him with the Sum of his Conference with the Lord Chancellor adding that the obtaining such a Warrant would be necessary for them to produce and shew to such as at that present did annoy them and to be hereafter kept by the Church That they might not be forced at other times upon the like Occasions to create new trouble to the King's Council or himself in suing for new Warrants of that Nature Meaning hereby to put the Secretary upon drawing this up the more formally and substantially And so intreating him to hear what the Elder had to say and to dispatch him he took his leave This Letter also is inserted in the Appendix The Superintendency of A Lasco seemed to extend not only to this particular Congregation of Germans but over all the other Churches of Foreigners set up in London as also over their Schools of Learning and Education They were all subject to his Inspection and within his Jurisdiction And Melancthon in an Epistle to him in the Month of Septemb. 1551. speaks of the Purity of Doctrine in his Churches His Condition now as to worldly Circumstances began to be so good that he was able to relieve and succour such Learned Foreigners as should retire hither For when one Nicolas Forst a Learned and grave Man who had lived long in the University of Lovain and had spent some time with Melancthon was minded for the sake of Religion to convey himself into England he recommended him earnestly to the Superintendent as a Person fit to teach in his Churches and Schools and that he would friendly entertain him as an Exile for the same Cause himself was and find him some little Nest to remain in Nay and the said Melancthon himself had some thoughts of sheltering himself under A Lasco here as appears by the forementioned Letter wherein he stiles him his Patron For the Superscription of his Letter is thus Illustri Magnifico ac Reverendo Viro Nobilitate generis Virtute Sapientia praestanti Dn. Iohanni a Lasco Patrono suo colendo So much of Deference and Honour did Learned and Pious Men then use to give him In this Letter Melancthon told him that the Calamities of the Churches were great and that he himself expected Banishment and might probably in a short time arrive where he was And in respect of his hospitable reception of Strangers he told him that he believed he did often remember that saying of the exiled Queen Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco Nor was A Lasco any ways unfurnished for this Spiritual Government being a Man of good Learning and of great Piety Strictness and Gravity from his younger Age and of whom the great Erasmus himself acknowledged that he learned much For in his Epistle to Iohannes a Lasco the Arch-bishop of Gnesne who was Namesake and Unckle to our Superintendent he speaks thus of his Nephew That he was but Young yet Grave beyond his Years and that he himself accounted it none of the least parts of his Happiness that he happened to have his Converse and Society for some Months praising the Endowments that God had given him And particularly concerning the Benefits he received by him he could not but confess Senex juvenis convictu factus sum melior ac sobrietatem temperantiam verecundiam linguae moderationem modestiam pudicitiam integritatem quam juvenis a sene discere debuerat a juvene senex didici That by the Conversation of that young Man he an old Man became better and that Sobriety Temperance Awfulness government of the Tongue Modesty Chastity Integrity which the Young ought to learn of the Old he an old Man had learned of a Young This he wrote in August 1527 soon after A Lasco was gone from him And in Iune the same Year while he resided with him in another Letter to Leonard Cox a Learned English Man he signified the great complacency he took in his Company Iohannis a Lasco tale sum expertus ingenium ut vel hoc uno amico mihi videar satis beatus That he had found A Lasco's Parts to be such that he seemed happy enough in his single Friendship And this good Understanding continued between them as long as Erasmus lived For A Lasco seems to have been with him in his last Sickness when as the last Token of Erasmus's esteem of him he made a purchase to him of his own Library that incomparable Treasure if we may believe the Author of his Life in English A Lasco thought not the Clergy obliged to Celibacy or single Life for he himself was a married Man Who his Wife was I know not but as for her Qualities she was in all probability a pious and discreet Woman whereby she gained a great share in his Affections He stiled her The other part of himself But in August 1552. God deprived him of her Which Stroke put him for some time under much sadness and indisposition both of Mind and Body as appears by one of his Letters He was alive at the Accession of Q. Elizabeth to the English Throne And though he came not back then to England again whence he departed upon K. Edward's Death yet according to that great Interest he had here with the most eminent Persons and even the Queen her self he neglected not by his Letters to promote the Reformation and to give his grave Counsel in order thereunto And Zanchy Publick Professor at Stratsburgh knowing the sway he bare here in a Letter to him in the Year 1558 or 59 excited him in these words Non
the Morals of this Man tainted having once made a very foul Slip being guilty of an Act of Uncleanness For which Sir William Cecyl Secretary of State who had been his good Friend was exceedingly displeased with him and withdrew all Favour and Countenance from him calling him Wicked Man and intending to inflict some severe Punishment upon him which seemed to be Banishment out of the Nation or at least turning him out of his Family where he seems to have been entertained Angelo wrote him a very penitent Letter minding him of the frailty of Human Nature and of the Mercy of God to Moses Aaron David Ionas Peter after their Falls And that if he were forced to depart the Kingdom he must either be compelled to renounce the Truth of the Gospel or have his Blood shed by the Enemies thereof This was as I suppose in the Year 1551. In fine he got over this Brunt and recovered mild Cecyl's Favour For I find a Year after our Arch-bishop wrote to him to further a certain Business of Michael Angelo at Court as much as he could This is all I have to say of that Italian Congregation and the Minister thereof For further memory of which I have added in the Appendix two Letters of this Michael Angelo to Secretary Cecyl whence many of the Matters next above mentioned were collected As there was thus a German and Italian Church in London so also there was a third of French Men under A Lasco's Superintendency One Member of which a very honest Man and of sound Religion by the general Testimony of that Church had desired to set up a Printing-house for his Livelihood chiefly for printing the Liturgy and other Books of the Church of England in French for the use of the French Islands under the English Subjection In whose behalf the Superintendent readily interceeded by a Letter with the Secretary to procure the King's Letters Patents for his Licence and Authority so to do The issue of which will be seen in the progress of this History The Letter I have transcribed to accompany two others of A Lasâ—o in the Appendix CHAP. XXIII The Church at Glastenbury IN the same Year viz. 1550. another Church of Strangers and they most what French and Walloons began to settle at Glastenbury in Somersetshire They were Weavers and followed the Manufacture of Kersies and Cloth of that Nature as I conjecture Their great Patrons were the Duke of Somerset and Sir William Cecyl I add and our Arch-bishop though I do not find his Name mentioned in the Papers I make use of relating to this Church For there is no question but that his Counsel and Aid concurred in the settlement of this Church as well as those in London and particularly as to the Preacher whom I suspect to have been one of those Learned Foreign Divines whom he harboured in his own House His Name was Valerandus Pollanus a Man of great worth both for Learning and Integrity who had the Title of Superintendent of the Strangers Church at Glastenbury as Iohn a Lasco had of that at London given to each to fix a Character of Honour and Esteem upon their Persons and perhaps to exempt them and their Churches from the Jurisdiction of the Bishops of those respective Diocesses This Pollanus turned into Latine and printed the Disputations held in the beginning of Queen Mary's Reign between the Protestants and Papists at the Convocation Anno 1553. If any desire to know the particular State and Condition of the establishment of these Strangers as to their Trade it stood thus Pollanus in behalf of the rest had preferred a Petition to the Duke of Somerset and the rest of the Lords of the Council to this Effect That they might be permitted to form themselves into a Church for the free Exercise of Religion and to follow peaceably their Calling of Weaving declaring as an Argument to perswade them to allow the same the considerable Benefit that would accrue thence to the Realm And that for Shops and Working-houses and for reception of them and their Families they might enjoy some old dissolved Religious House Their Petition was condescended to And the Duke being a great Cherisher of those of the Religion resolved to be their Patron and to take the managing of this whole Cause upon himself The Duke in the Month of Iune this Year had made an exchange of certain Lands with the King and that probably for the better accommodating of these Strangers He had parted with the Castle and Lordship of Sleford and other Lands and Tenements in the County of Lincoln to the King and the King had granted him in lieu thereof all and singular his Messuages Lands Tenements and Hereditaments with their Appurtenances in the Town of Glastenbury namely what had belonged to the Abby and other Lands and Tenements in Kingston upon Hull to the value of 214 l. 14 s. 5 d. obq as I find in a Manuscript Book mentioning the several Sales that King made Having obtained such Conveniences in Glastenbury he resolved to plant this Manufacture here which he thought would tend so much to the Benefit of the Country himself and these poor Strangers too Conditions were mutually entred into The Conditions on Somerset's part were That he should provide them Houses convenient for their Occupations and to contain themselves and Families that five Acres of Pasture Land or as much as would serve for the feeding of two Cows throughout the Year should be allotted to each of them and until Land were so allotted they should enjoy the Park in common for the said use with some part also of the Gardens They were also to be supplied with Monies from the Duke to buy Wool and defray other Charges necessary to set them on Work They were also empowered to employ both English Men and Women as they should have occasion in Spinning and other Works belonging to their Trade And so accordingly they went down to Gastenbury and fell to work But upon the Troubles and Fall of Somerset which happened about fourteen or fifteen Months after their Affairs were much obstructed His Servants neglected to furnish them with Money according to Contract Nor was he at leisure now to regard them The People among whom they lived took this opportunity to express what little kindness they had for them it being the Temper of the Common-sort to be jealous of Strangers and rude to them So that they were not without their Discontents and Discouragements For they wanted those Conveniences of room for Work-houses and Habitations that were promised them They ran in Debt and were forced to lay to pawn the Clothes they had wove to supply their Wants Cornish one of the chief of their Procurators appointed to oversee them and further their Trade proved very deceitful and false to them Who came to them pretending Letters from the Council and treating them at first with fair Words and after
in probability would have turned so much to the Benefit of our Nation It being also an Instance of the pious Care and good Policy that was then taken by the Court for the Relief and Sustentation of poor Fugitives flying hither from their Native Country Friends and Livelihood for Christ's Sake and yet that the Publick might be as little burthened by them as might be Queen Mary's access to the Crown spoiled this good Design For all Strangers being then commanded suddenly to depart the Realm this Congregation accordingly brake up and removed themselves to Frankford in Germany Where the Magistrates kindly entertained them and allowed them a Church And when afterwards viz. 1554. divers of the English Nation fled thither for their Religion the Governors of the Town upon their Petition received them also and all other such English as should resort thither upon the same Account as many did And two Members of this French Congregation mindful undoubtedly of the former Kindness themselves or their Countrymen had received in England assisted them much namely Morellio a Minister and Castalio an Elder The English here made use of the same Church the French did these one Day and the English another and upon Sundays the use of it respectively as themselves could agree And as there were settled here Congregations of French Italians and Dutch Strangers so I am very apt to believe there was also a Church of Spaniards too Indeed I do not find express mention of any such till the beginning of Q. Elizabeth's Reign when Cassiodorus and Anthonius Corranus Hispalensis of Sevil a Member of the Italian Congregation were their Preachers of whom I shall have occasion to say something in my Memorials of Arch-bishop Grindal It is certain that in Queen Mary's Days many of those Spaniards who came over in the Retinue of Philip the Spanish Prince or after forsook Popery and became Professors of the Reformed Religion Which one cannot well tell how it should come to pass unless it were by the hearing of the Gospel preached in their own Language here And it is observable that among these many had been sent for over in that Queen's Time to convert our Nation from Heresy as they termed it and to reduce it to the Roman Church This notable Success and Power which the clear Evidence of Truth had upon these Men was in those Times taken much notice of as it might well be Iames Pilkington the Master of S. Iohn's College in Cambridg and who was afterwards Bishop of Durham makes a Note of it to the University in the Sermon which he preached at the Restitution of Bucer and Fagius in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign after the barbarous Indignities that had been offered them in the former Queen's Reign in raking their dead Bodies out of their Graves and burning them It is much more notable said he that we have seen to come to pass in our Days that the Spaniards sent for into the Realm on purpose to suppress the Gospel as soon as they were returned Home replenish'd many parts of their Country with the same Truth of Religion to the which before they were utter Enemies Nay and not long after this such earnest Professors of the True Religion were found in Spain that many of them indured the fiery Trial and offered up their Bodies to the Flames for Christ's Sake and more were cast into Prisons And yet the Gospel got ground there to admiration as Zanchy gave a Relation thereof to A Lasco in one of his Letters Wherein he spake of the great numbers of true Professors in Italy also The Place being so much to our present purpose I will take leave to lay before the Reader In Calabriae duobus Castellis c. In two Castles of Calabria one belonging to the Duke of Montalto the other to a Nobleman of Naples were found 4000 Brethren being the remainders of those Brethren called Waldenses They were for many Years unknown and lived safely in their Ancestors Possessions For though they approved not of Masses yet they thought the Faithful might go to them with a safe Conscience But being untaught this bad Doctrine they did wholly and universally abstain going any more And so it came to pass that they could not be concealed any longer Therefore a Persecution was raised up against them They writ to the Brethren at Geneva to assist them by their Prayers their Counsel and also by humane Aid We see also in Italy where the Seat of Antichrist is there is a great Harvest but very few to gather it O God have Mercy upon Italy In Spain very many were burnt more cast into Prison Nevertheless in the mean time the Gospel goes forward as we hear wonderfully And in another Letter he writes thus There is a very great Persecution in Italy nor a less in Spain A sign there be many Faithful there that dare confess Christ. CHAP. XXIV The Arch-bishop's Care of the Revenues of the Church Bucer dies I Return now to our Prelate again to take a further view of him acting in his high Function in the English Church It must not be omitted to be ranked among his good Services towards it that he did what in him lay to preserve the Revenues of it in his Time when there were so many hungry Courtiers gaping after them These were again in a new Danger after the Duke of Northumberland and his Party had removed Somerset and made themselves the great Controllers of Publick Affairs It was indeed the Scandal of the Reformation that the Demeans that had been settled long before by our pious Ancestors for the maintenance of God's Ministers as they had been formerly wrongfully appropriated to Monasteries and swallowed up by Lazy Monks so they had not now recurred and been restored to their true Owners but became possest by Lay-men So that in many scores of Parishes there remained not sufficient to buy Bread for the Incumbents and their Families And it was more than suspicious that many Patrons did render the Condition of the Church still worse in these Days by retaining and reserving to themselves whether by Contract or Power the Tithes of the Benefices they presented to And by these means Pluralities and Nonresidences the old Mischief of the Church were not redressed but rather made necessary This Abuse grieved good Men and Lovers of the Reformation both at Home and Abroad because they saw how the preaching of the Gospel was obstructed hereby Concerning this Bucer from Cambridg wrote privately to Calvin in the Year 1550. And this made Calvin address a Letter to our Arch-bishop telling him That for the flourishing State of Religion he thought it highly needful to have fit Pastors that might seriously set themselves to perform the Office of Preaching One great obstacle whereof he makes very truly to be Quod praedae expositi sunt Ecclesiae reditus That the Rents of the Church were exposed to
was much offended that he was named in the Book and pretended this to be one Reason why he did write against it to vindicate himself as well as the Papal Church hereby so dangerously struck at This Book of Cranmer's was turned into Latin by Iohn Yong who complied afterwards with the old Religion under Queen Mary and was Master of Pembroke-Hall Cambridg At this Book the Defenders of Popery were so nettled that in the same Year 1550 Winchester then in the Tower and fickle Dr. Smith then at Lovain printed Answers Of Smith's Book I shall only note by the way that March 8. 1550. there was an Order of Council to examine the bringer over of his Book against Cranmer Such a Countenance did the State give to the Arch-bishop and his Book Gardiner's Book made the greatest noise Which was printed in France and intituled An Explication and Assertion of the true Catholick Faith touching the most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar with the Confutation of a Book written against the same In the Beginning of his Book he wrote That his Sermon before the King on St. Peter's Day touching the Sacrament of the Altar gave occasion to the Arch-bishop's Book against it and that he was called before the King's Commissioners at Lambeth for his Catholick Faith in the Sacrament Whereas indeed this was not the Cause of his Troubles nor had some former Copies of his Book these words But after the Commission was issued forth against him to make his Cause appear the more specious as if it were the Cause of the Church he thought fit to make an Alteration in the beginning of his Book in the manner abovesaid And to carry on the Scene he in open Court offered his Book before the King's Commissioners To this Book of Gardiners our Arch-bishop studied and composed an Answer holding himself bound for the Vindication of the Evangelical Truth as well as of his own Writing and for the Satisfaction of the People not to suffer it to lie untaken notice of When it was known the Arch-bishop was preparing an Answer against Gardiner the People were in very great expectation and conceived an earnest desire to see and read it Having therefore dispatched his Copy and sent it to Rainold Wolf his Printer it was printed off in the Month of September 1551. But there was some stop put to the publishing of it occasioned by a Proclamation issued out from the King whereby for some political Ends both the printing and selling of English Books without the Allowance of the King's Majesty or six of his Privy-Council was forbidden The Arch-bishop being desirous that his Book might come abroad the next Term for the Contentation of many who had long expected the same sent to Secretary Cecyl and Sir Iohn Cheke to procure either from the King or Council a Licence to the said Wolf for printing and selling his Book Which was obtained and the Book published accordingly This Letter of the ABp's dated Sept. 29. I have thought not amiss to reposit in the Appendix Octob. 1. A Licence was granted to Wolf to publish the Book under the King's Privilege the Court then being at Hampton-Court and the Arch-bishop himself present The Title this second Book of the Arch-bishop's bore was An Answer by the Reverend Father in God Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury Primate of all England and Metropolitan unto a crafty and sophistical Cavillation devised by Stephen Gardiner Doctor of Law late Bishop of Winchester against the true and godly Doctrine of the most Holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ. Wherein is also as occasion serveth answered such Places of the Book of Dr. Richard Smith as may seem any thing worthy the answering Also a true Copy of the Book written and in open Court delivered by Dr. Stephen Gardiner not one Word added or diminished but faithfully in all Points agreeing with the Original This Book of Arch-bishop Cranmer's was printed again at London 1580 with his Life and some other things His Reply to Gardiner was in the most fair and candid Method that could be devised For he first set down his own Treatise Piece by Piece then Gardiner's Reply thereunto Word for Word leaving not one Paragraph without a full Answer His Reply to Smith was only of some things most worthy to be taken notice of the rest of Smith's Book being meer Trifles This Reply to Smith he inserted in the Body of his Answer to Gardiner as occasion served Only at the end he made a particular Reply to Smith's Preface It seemed to be a very compleat Exercitation upon that Subject The Book was stored with so great Learning and Plenty of Arguments Vt ea Controversia saith one of his Successors a nemine unquam contra Pontificios accuratius tractata esse videatur That no one Controversy was by any ever handled against the Papists more accurately It may not be amiss to mention here the Opinion that Cranmer himself had of his Book in that famous and renowned Confession he made of his Faith in S. Mary's Church Oxon immediately before he was led away to his Burning Where he expressed his full Approbation and great Confidence of the Doctrine contained therein saying That as for the Sacrament he believed as he had taught in his Book against the Bishop of VVinchester The which Book he said taught so true a Doctrine of the Sacrament that it should stand at the last Day before the Judgment of God where the Papistical Doctrine contrary thereto should be ashamed to shew her Face The Papists spake as much against this Book being much galled by it Dr. Tresham in his Disputation with Latimer said There were six hundred Errors in the Book Weston thinking to invalidate the Book by the pretended Novelty of the Doctrine asked the same Father How long he had been of that Opinion He said Not past seven Years that is about the Year 1547 and that Arch-bishop Cranmer's Book confirmed his Judgment therein and added That if he could but remember all therein contained he would not fear to answer any Man in this Matter The Arch-bishop had acknowledged to the Queen's Commissioners at Oxford that Ridley had first begun to enlighten him as to the true Notion of the Presence as he had maintained it in his Book Hereupon one of them took occasion to try to baffle the true Doctrine by making the whole stress of it to depend upon the Authority of single Ridley Latimer said he leaned upon Cranmer and Cranmer leaned upon Ridley Whereas the truth of this was no more but that Ridley reading Bertram's Book of the Body and Blood of Christ was sharpened to examine the old Opinion more accurately of the Presence of Christ's Flesh and Blood and looking into Ecclesiastical Authors he found it greatly controverted in the ninth Century and learnedly writ against Which made him begin to conclude it none of the ancient Doctrines of the Church but more lately
true Interpretation of certain Places out of the Fathers which Gardiner and his Companions brought for themselves and their Errors After this Defence followed another by the same Author printed in the same Town of Zurick against two Books of Dr. Rich. Smith concerning the single Life of Priests and Monastick Vows which he wrote at Lovain against Martyr For when Martyr had read at Oxford upon 1 Corinthians Chap. vii where the Apostle speaks much of Virginity and Matrimony the Notes of which Readings Smith had very diligently taken being constantly present at them from thence he composed two Books not so strong as malicious Of the Celibacy of Priests and of Vows designing thereby to confute Martyr's Arguments Which he therefore thought fit to vindicate In this Book he not only answered Smith's Arguments but whatever else he could meet with upon that Subject But it was thought to be a very improper Undertaking and proved cause of Mirth that so filthy a Fellow as Smith was known to be and once taken in the Act of Adultery should write a Book of Priestly Chastity Which occasioned these Verses made by Laur. Humfrey Haud satis affabrè tractans fabrilia Smithus Librum de vita caelibe composuit c. Dúmque pudicitiam dum vota monastica laudat Stuprat sacra notans foedera conjugii CHAP. XXVI The Duke of Somerset's Death New Bishops THE Arch-bishop of Canterbury this Year lost the Duke of Somerset whom he much valued and who had been a great Assistant to him in the Reformation of the Church and a true Friend to it His violent Death exceedingly grieved the good Arch-bishop both because he knew it would prove a great Let to Religion and was brought about by evil Men to the shedding of Innocent Blood for the furthering the Ends of Ambition and begat in him Fears and Jealousies of the King's Life It is very remarkable what I meet with in one of my Manuscripts There was a Woman somewhat before the last apprehension of the Duke Wife of one Woocock of Pool in Dorsetshire that gave out that there was a Voice that followed her which sounded these words always in her Ears He whom the King did best trust should deceive him and work Treason against him After she had a good while reported this Sir William Barkley who married the Lord Treasurer Winchester's Daughter sent her up to London to the Council with two of his Servants She was not long there but without acquainting the Duke of Somerset whom it seemed most to concern he being the Person whom the King most trusted was sent home again with her Purse full of Money And after her coming home She was more busy in that talk than before So that She came to a Market-Town called Wimborn four Miles from Pool where she reported that the Voice continued following her as before This looked by the Circumstances like a practice of some Popish Priests accustomed to dealing in such Frauds to make the World the more inclinable to believe the Guilt of the good Duke which Somerset's Enemies were now framing against him And so some of the Wiser Sort thereabouts did seem to think For there were two Merchants of Pool that heard her and took a Note of her Words and came to the House of Hancock Minister of Pool who was known to the Duke counselling him to certify my Lord of her Which Hancock accordingly did and came to Sion where the Duke then was and told him of the Words He added Whom the King doth best trust we do not know but that all the King 's loving Subjects did think that his Grace was most worthy to be best trusted and that his Grace had been in Trouble and that all the King 's Loving Subjects did pray for his Grace to the Almighty to preserve him that he might never come in the like trouble again Then the Duke asked him whether he had a Note of the Words Which when he had received from Hancock he said to him suspecting the Plot Ah! Sirrah this is strange that these things should come before the Councellors and I not hear of it I am of the Council also He asked Hancock Before whom of the Council this matter was brought Who replied He knew not certain but as he supposed The Duke asked him Whom he supposed He answered Before the Lord Treasurer because his Son-in-Law Sir W. Barkley sent her up The Duke subjoyned It was like to be so This was three weeks before his last Apprehension This I extract out of Mr. Hancock's own Narration of himself and and his Troubles to which he added That at his first apprehension the report was that the Duke what time as he was fetch'd out of Windsor-Castle having the King by the Hand should say It is not I that they shoot at This is the Mark that they shoot at meaning the King Which by the Sequel proved too true For that good Godly and vertuous Prince lived not long after the Death of that good Duke Indeed it seemed to have been a Plot of the Papists and the Bishop of Winchester at the Bottom of it This is certain when in October 1549. the Duke was brought to the Tower the Bishop was then born in hand he should be set at Liberty Of which he had such Confidence that he prepared himself new Apparel against the Time he should come out thinking verily to have come abroad within eight or ten Days But finding himself disappointed he wrote an expostulatory Letter to the Lords within a Month after to put them in remembrance as Stow writes The Articles that were drawn up against the Duke upon his second Apprehension and Trial were in number Twenty which I shall not repeat here as I might out of a Manuscript thereof because they may be seen in Fox But I do observe one of the Articles is not printed in his Book namely the Tenth which ran thus Also you are charged that you have divers and many times both openly and privately said and affirmed That the Nobles and Gentlemen were the only Causes of the Dearth of things whereby the People rose and did reform things themselves Whence it appears that one Cause of the hatred of the Nobility and Gentry against him was because he spake against their Debauches and Excesses Covetousness and Oppressions But that which I chiefly observe here is that the draught of these Articles which I have seen were made by Bp Gardiner being his very Hand unless I am much mistaken So that he I suppose was privately dealt with and consulted being then a Prisoner in the Tower to be a Party in assisting and carrying on this direful Plot against the Duke to take away his Life Notwithstanding his outward Friendship and fair Correspondence in Letters with the said Duke But Gardiner was looked upon to be a good Manager of Accusations and he was ready enough to be employed here that he might put to his Hand in taking off one
that was such a great Instrument of promoting the Reformation He is generally charged for the great Spoil of Churches and Chappels defacing antient Tombs and Monuments and pulling down the Bells in Parish-Churches and ordering only one Bell in a Steeple as sufficient to call the People together Which set the Commonalty almost into a Rebellion As the Arch-bishop the last Year had procured Amendments and Alterations in the Book of Publick Prayers and had consulted therein with the two Learned Foreign Divines Bucer and Martyr so this Year in Ianuary an Act was made by the Parliament for authorizing the new Book and obliging the Subjects to be present at the reading of it In this Book the general Confession was added and the Absolution At the beginning of the second Service was added the Recital of the Ten Commandments with the short Ejaculation to be said between each Commandment Something was left out in the Consecration of the Sacrament that seemed to favour a Corporal presence Several Rites were laid aside as that of Oil in Confirmation and Extream Unction and Prayer for the Dead which was before used in the Communion-Office and that of Burial together with the change and abolishing of some other things that were offensive or Superstitions as may be seen by those that will take the pains to compare the two Books the one printed in the Year 1549 and the other 1552. And this was brought about by the great and long Diligence and Care of our pious Arch-bishop and no question to his great Joy and Satisfaction So that I look upon that but as an improbable report that was carried about in Frankford in those unseemly Branglings among the English Exiles there that Bullinger should say That Cranmer had drawn up a Book of Prayers an hundred times more perfect then that which was then in being but the same could not take place for that he was matched with such a wicked Clergy and Convocation with other Enemies But as his Authority was now very great so there was undoubtedly a great Deference paid to it as also to his Wisdom and Learning by the rest of the Divines appointed to that Work so that as nothing was by them inserted into the Liturgy but by his good Allowance and Approbation so neither would they reject or oppose what he thought fit should be put in or Altered The Learning Piety and good Deserts of Miles Coverdale in translating the Holy Scriptures into the English Tongue and in a constant preaching of the Gospel and sticking to the true Profession for many a Year and withall very probably their antient acquaintance in Cambridg were reasons that made our Arch-bishop a particular Friend to him When the Lord Russel was sent down against the Rebels in the West he was attended by Coverdale to preach among them Coverdale afterwards became Coadjutor to Veyzy the Bishop of Exeter who seldom resided and took little care of his Diocess But this Year whether voluntarily or by some Order he resigned up his Bishoprick having first greatly spoiled it of its Revenues And when some wise and bold Person and excellent Preacher was found extreamly needful to be sent thither to inspect the Clergy and Ecclesiastick Matters in those Parts the late Rebellion having been raised chiefly by Priests in hatred to the Religion heating and disaffecting the Minds of the common People Coverdale was judged a very fit Person to succeed in that Charge Being now Bishop Elect of Exon he had long attended at Court to get his Matters dispatched namely The doing of his Homage and the obtaining a Suit to be excused the paiment of his first Fruits being but a poor Man But such at that Time were the great and urgent Affairs of the State or the secret Hinderers of the Gospel that he found nothing but Delaies So that he was forced to apply himself unto his Friend the Arch-bishop to forward his Business Who forthwith sent his Letters to Secretary Cecyl making Coverdale himself the Bearer Entreating him to use his Interest to get this Bishop dispatched and that with speed Urging this for his Reason becoming his paternal Care over his Province That so he might without further delay go down into the Western Parts which had great need of him And also because he was minded on the 30 th of August to consecrate him and the Bishop of Rochester Scory according to the King's Mandate This Scory was at first preferred by the Arch-bishop to be one of the six Preachers at Canterbury and always continued firm to the Purity of Religion and endured Trouble for the good and wholesome Doctrine that he preached having been presented and complained of both in the Spiritual Courts and to the Justices at their Sessions when the Six Articles were in Force He was a Married Man and so deprived at the beginning of Queen Mary's Reign fled beyond Sea and was Superintendent of the English Congregation at Embden in Friezland There in the Year 1555 he wrote and printed A Comfortable Epistle unto all the Faithful that be in Prison or in any other Trouble for the defence of God's Truth Wherein he doth as well by the promises of Mercy as also by the Examples of divers holy Martyrs comfort encourage and strengthen them patiently for Christ's Sake to suffer the manifold cruel and most tyrannous Persecutions of Antichristian Tormentors As the Book bears title There were divers Bishopricks vacant this Year As that of Lincoln by the Death of Holbech The Arch-bishop deputed the Spiritualties to Iohn Pope LL. B. and Chancellor of that Church The Church commending unto the Arch-bishop this Pope and two more viz. Iohn Prin LL. D. Subdean of the Church and Christopher Massingberde LL. B. Arch-deacon of Stow. So he chose the first But yet he committed a special trust to Taylor the Dean of Lincoln whom he knew to be tight to Religion sending a Commission fiduciary to him before Pope entred upon his Office to give the said Pope his Oath Legally and faithfully to perform his Office committed to him by the Arch-bishop and to answer to the said Arch-bishop for all Obventions coming to him by virtue of his Jurisdiction and Office and that he should not by Malice or Wrong squeez the Subjects of the King and of that Diocess whether Clerks or Laics that he should not knowingly grieve them in their Estates or Persons and that he shall abstain from Oppressions Extortions and unlawful Exactions and that he shall renounce the Bishop of Rome his usurped Jurisdiction and Authority according to the Statutes of Parliament And of all this he wrote a Letter to the said Pope signifying that he required such an Oath of him to be taken before the Dean The Tenor of the Arch-bishop's Letter to the Dean went on further requiring him by his sound Council singular Prudence and by the assistance of his sincere Judgment to be present with him in any hard Cases and of
great Moment and that he would not be wanting to him in any Matters of that sort being a Person of that Knowledg in Sacred Prophane Learning of that Prudence Circumspection and Dexterity in managing Business And so finally joined him with Pope to perform all this piously and catholickly according to the Rule of Evangelick Religion and the Exigency of the Laws and Statutes of this Kingdom And deputed him his Vice-gerent This Letter was dated at Croydon the 20 th of August This Commission seemed to be somewhat extraordinary The occasion whereof might be because the Arch-bishop did not confide in this Chancellor of the Church suspecting his Religion and Compliance with the King's Proceedings therefore he thought good to associate him with Taylor the Dean of whom he was well assured The Church of Worcester became also Vacant by the Deprivation of Hethe the Bishop The Arch-bishop committed the Spiritualties thereof to Iohn Barlo Dean of the said Church and Roland Taylor LL. D. his Domestick Chaplain These he constituted his Officials to exercise all Episcopal Jurisdiction This Commission was dated at Lambeth Ian. 10. 1554 by an Error of the Scribe for 1551. as appears by a Certificate sent from the Church to that Arch-bishop signifying the Vacation of it Upon the Vacancy of the Church of Chichester by the Deprivation of Day the Arch-bishop made Iohn Worthial Arch-deacon of Chichester and Robert Taylor LL. B. Dean of the Deanery of South-Malling his Officials This Commission to them dated Novemb. 3 1551 was to Visit c. Upon the Vacancy of the Church of Hereford by the Death of Skip late Bishop there the Spiritualties were committed to Hugh Coren LL. D. Dean of that Church and Rich. Cheny D.D. Arch-deacon of Hereford Their Commission was to Visit c. Upon the Vacancy of the Bishoprick of Bangor either by the Death of Bulkly the Bishop or his Resignation upon his blindness the Arch-bishop made his Commissaries Griffin Leyson his principal Chancellor and Official Rowland Merick a Canon of S. David's and Geofrey Glynn L L. D D. The Church of Rochester also became this Year Vacant by the Translation of Scory to Chichester In these Vacancies the Bishopricks were lamentably pilled by hungry Courtiers of the Revenues belonging to them This Year Bishop Hoper was by the Council dispatched down as was said before into his Diocess where things were much out of order and Popery had great footing and therefore it wanted such a stirring Man as he was That he might do the more Good he had the Authority of the Lords of the Council to back him by a Commission granted to him and others He brought most of the Parish-Priests and Curates from their old Superstitions and Errors concerning the Doctrine of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper The Recantation of one of them of more note named Phelps the Incumbent of Ciciter which he made publickly and subscribed may be seen in the Appendix This Year there happened two learned Conferences in Latin privately managed about the Corporeal Presence in the Sacrament The one on the 25 th of November in the House of Sir William Cecyl Secretary of State performed by the said Cecyl Sir Iohn Cheke Horne Dean of Durham Whitehead and Grindal on the Protestant side and Feckenham and Yong on the Popish But first before they began Cecyl under his solemn Protestation assured them that every Man should have free Liberty to speak his Mind and that none should receive any Dammage or incurr any Danger Cheke began by propounding this question Quis esset verus germanus sensus verborum Coenae Hoc est corpus meum Num quem verba sensu grammatico accepta prae se ferebant an aliud quiddam To whom Feckenham answered There were present besides those that disputed these noble and learned Persons The Lord Russel Sir Anthony Coke Mr. Hales Mr. Wroth Mr. Frogmartin Mr. Knolles Mr. Harrington The second Disputation was Decemb. 3. following in Mr. Morisin's House where were present the Marq. of Northampton the Earl of Rutland the Lord Russel and those above named and Watson added on the Papists side Then Cheke again propounded the Question Whether the words of the Supper are to be understood in a grammatical or in a figurative Sense To which Watson Responded Both these Disputations are too large for this place but they are set down in one of the Manuscript Volumes of the Benet-Library In November died Dr. Iohn Redman Master of Trinity-College in Cambridg and one of the great Lights of that University for the bringing in solid Learning among the Students a Prebendary of the Church of Westminster and who in the Year 1549 assisted in the compiling the English Book of Common-Prayer and preached a Sermon upon the Learned Bucer's Death the day following his Funeral He was a Person of extraordinary Reputation among all for his great Learning and Reading and profound Knowledg in Divinity So that the greatest Divines gave a mighty Deference to his Judgment And therefore when he lay sick at Westminster many learned Men repaired to him desiring to know his last Judgment of several Points then so much controverted And he was very ready to give them Satisfaction Among the rest that came were Richard Wilks Master of Christ's College Cambridg Alexander Noel afterwards Dean of Paul's and Yong a Man of Fame in Cambridg for his disputing against Bucer about Justification In these Conferences with these learned Man he called the See of Rome Sentina Malorum A Sink of Evils he said That Purgatory as the Schoolmen taught it was ungodly and that there was no such kind of Purgatory as they fancied That the offering up the Sacrament in Masses and Trentals for the Sins of the Dead was ungodly That the Wicked are not partakers of the Body of Christ but receive the outward Sacrament only That it ought not to be carried about in Procession That nothing that is seen in the Sacrament or perceived with the outward Sense is to be worshipped That we receive not Christ's Body Corporaliter grosly like other Meats but so Spiritualiter that nevertheless Verè truly That there was not any good ground in the old Doctors for Transubstantiation as ever he could perceive nor could he see what could be answered to the Objections against it That Priests might by the Law of God marry Wives That this Proposition Faith only justifies so that this Faith signify a true lively Faith resting in Christ and embracing him is a true godly sweet and comfortable Doctrine That our Works cannot deserve the Kingdom of God And he said that it troubled him that he had so much strove against Justification by Faith only A Treatise whereof he composed which was printed at Antwerp after his Death in the Year 1555. He said also to Yong That Consensus Ecclesiae was but a weak Staff to lean to and exhorted him to read the Scriptures
for there was that which would comfort him when he should be in such a case as he was then in One asked him concerning the Doctrine of the School-Doctors that Bread remained not after Consecration He replied There was none of the School-Doctors knew what Consecratio did mean And pausing a while said It was Tota actio The whole Action in ministring the Sacrament as Christ did institute it After the Conference with him was ended Yong retiring into another Chamber said to Wilks that Dr. Redman so moved him that whereas he was before in such Opinion of certain things that he would have burned and lost his Life for them now he doubted of them But I see said he a Man shall know more and more by process of time and by reading and hearing others And Mr. Dr. Redman's saying shall cause me to look more diligently for them Ellis Lomas Redman's Servant said he knew his Master had declared to King Henry that Faith only justifieth but that he thought that Doctrine was not to be taught the People lest they should be negligent to do good Works All this I have related of this Divine that I may in some measure preserve the Memory of one of the Learnedest Men of his Time and lay up the dying Words of a Papist signifying so plainly his dislike and disallowance of many of their Doctrines The Sweating-sickness breaking out this Year in great violence whereby the two Sons of the Duke of Suffolk were taken off Letters from the Council dated Iuly 18 were sent to all the Bishops to perswade the People to Prayer and to see God better served It being enacted 1549 That the King might during three Years appoint sixteen Spiritual Men and sixteen Temporal to examine the old Ecclesiastical Laws and to compile a Body of Ecclesiastical Laws to be in force in the room of the old this third Year Octob. 6. a Commission was issued out to the same number of Persons authorizing them to reform the Canon Laws that is to say to eight Bishops eight Divines eight Civil Lawyers and eight Common Whose Names as they occur in an Original are as follow BISHOPS The Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Bishops of London Winchester Ely Exeter Glocester Bath Rochestre DIVINES Mr. Taylor of Lincoln Cox Almoner Parker of Cambridg Latimer Cook Sir Anthony I suppose Peter Martyr Cheke Ioannes a Laseo CIVILIANS Mr. Peter Cecyl Sir Tho. Smith Taylor of Hadeligh Dr. May Mr. Traheron Dr. Lyel Mr. Skinner LAWYERS Justice Hales Justice Bromly Goodrick Gosnal Stamford Carel Lucas Brook Recorder of London It was so ordered that this number should be divided into four distinct Classes or Companies each to consist of two Bishops two Divines to Civilians and two Common-Lawyers And to each Company were assigned their set parts Which when one Company had finished it was transmitted to the other Companies to be by them all well considered and inspected But out of all the number of two and thirty eight especially were selected from each rank two viz. out of the Bishops the Arch-bishop and the Bishop of Ely out of the Divines Cox and Martyr out of the Civilians Taylor and May out of the Common-Lawyers Lucas and Goodrick To whom a new Commission was made Novemb. 9 for the first forming of the Work and preparation of the Matter And the Arch-bishop supervised the whole Work This Work they plied close this Winter But lest they should be straitned for time the Parliament gave the King three Years longer for accomplishing this Affair So Feb. 2. A Letter was sent from the Council to make a new Commission to the Arch-bishop and to the other Bishops and Learned Men Civilians and Lawyers for the establishment of the Ecclesiastical Laws according to the Act of Parliament made in the last Session This was a very noble Enterprize and well worthy the Thoughts of our excellent Arch-bishop Who with indefatigable Pains had been both in this and the last King's Reign labouring to bring this Matter about and he did his part for he brought the Work to perfection But it wanted the King's Ratification which was delayed partly by Business and partly by Enemies Bishops Consecrated August the 30 th Iohn Scory Ponet being translated to Winchester was consecrated Bishop of Rochester at Croyden by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury assisted by Nicolas Bishop of London and Iohn Suffragan of Bedford Miles Coverdale was at the same time and place Consecrated Bishop of Exon all with their Surplices and Copes and Coverdale so habited also CHAP. XXVII The Articles of Religion OUR Arch-bishop and certain of the Bishops and other Divines but whom by Name I find not were this Year chiefly busied in composing and preparing a Book of Articles of Religion which was to contain what should be publickly owned as the Sum of the Doctrine of the Church of England This the Arch-bishop had long before this bore in his Mind as excellently serviceable for the creating of a Concord and Quietness among Men and for the putting an End to Contentions and Disputes in Matters of Religion These Articles the Arch-bishop was the Penner or at least the great Director of with the assistance as is very probable of Bishop Ridley And so he publickly owned afterwards in his Answer to certain Interrogatories put to him by Queen Mary's Commissioners viz. That the Catechism the Book of Articles and the Book against Winchester were his Doings These Articles were in number Forty two and were agreed to in the Convocation 1552. And in the Year 1553 they were published by the King's Authority both in Latin and English After they were finished he laboured to have the Clergy subscribe them but against their Wills he compelled none though afterwards some charged him falsly to do so Which he utterly denied as he declared before the said Queen's Commissioners But to enter into some Particulars concerning so eminent a Matter Ecclesiastical as this was In the Year 1551 the King and his Privy-Council ordered the Archbishop to frame a Book of Articles of Religion for the preserving and maintaining Peace and Unity of Doctrine in this Church that being finish'd they might be set forth by Publick Authority The Arch-bishop in obedience hereunto drew up a set of Articles which were delivered to certain other Bishops to be inspected and subscribed I suppose by them Before them they lay until this Year 1552. Then May 2. a Letter was sent from the Council to our Arch-bishop to send the Articles that were delivered the last Year to the Bishops and to signify whether the same were set forth by any Publick Authority according to the Minutes The Arch-bishop accordingly sent the Articles and his Answer unto the Lords of the Council In September I find the Articles were again in his Hands Then he set the Book in a better Order and put Titles upon each of the Articles and some Additions for the better perfecting of the Work and supply
corrupt Religion within his Province and Territories But finding the Opposition against him so great and lying under the Excommunication of the Pope for what he had done and being deprived thereupon by the Emperor of his Lands and Function he resigned his Ecclesiastical Honour and betook himself to a retired Life which was done about the Year 1547. But no question in this private Capacity he was not idle in doing what Service he could for the good of that Cause which he had so generously and publickly espoused and for which he had suffered so much I find that in this Year 1552 our Arch-bishop had sent a Message to Secretary Cecyl who accompanied the King in this Summer's Progress desiring him to be mindful of the Bishop of Colen's Letters And in another Letter dated Iuly 21 he thanked the Secretary for the good remembrance he had thereof What the Contents of these Letters of the Arch-bishop of Colen were it appeareth not But I am very apt to think the Purport of them was that Cranmer would solicite some certain Business in the English Court relating to the Affairs of Religion in Germany and for the obtaining some Favour from the King in that Cause But the King being now abroad and the Arch-bishop at a distance from him he procured the Secretary who was ever cordial to the State of Religion to solicit that Arch-bishop's Business for him sending him withal that Arch-bishop's Letters for his better Instruction And this whatever it was seems to have been the last good Office that Arch-bishop Herman did to the Cause of Religion for he died according to Sleidan in the Month of August and our Arch-bishop's Letter wherein that Elector's Letters are mentioned were writ but the Month before And if one may judg of Mens commencing Friendship and Love according to the sutableness of their Tempers and Dispositions our Arch-bishop of Canterbury and the Arch-bishop of Colen must have been very intimate Friends It was said of this Man that he often wished That either he might be instrumental to the propagating the Evangelical Doctrine and Reformation of the Churches under his Iurisdiction or to live a private Life And when his Friends had often told him what Envy he would draw upon himself by the changing of Religion he would answer like a true Christian Philosopher That nothing could happen to him unexpectedly and that he had long since fortified his Mind against every Event These two Passages spake the very Spirit and Soul of Cranmer Which they may see that are minded to read what Fox saith of him as to his Undauntedness and Constancy in the maintaining of the Truth against the many Temptations and Dangers that he met with during these three Reigns successively And lastly as our Arch-bishop devoted himself wholly to the reforming of his Church so admirable was the Diligence Pains and Study this Arch-bishop took in contriving the Reformation of his He procured a Book to be writ concerning it called Instauratio Ecclesiarum which contained the Form and Way to be used for the redressing the Errors and Corruptions of his Church It was composed by those great German Divines Bucer and Melancthon which Book was put into English and published here as a good Pattern in the Year 1547. This Book he intended to issue forth through his Jurisdiction by his Authority to be observed But first he thought fit well and seriously to examine it and spent five Hours in the Morning for five Days to deliberate and consult thereupon Calling to him to advise withal in this great Affair his Coadjutor Count Stolberg Husman Ienep Bucer and Melancthon He caused the whole Work to be read before him and as many Places occurred wherein he seemed less satisfied he caused the Matter to be disputed and argued and then spake his own Mind accurately He would patiently hear the Opinions of others for the information of his own Judgment and so ordered things to be either changed or illustrated And so dextrously would he decide many Controversies arising that Melancthon thought that those great Points of Religion had been long weighed and considered by him and that he rightly understood the whole Doctrine of the Church He had always lying by him the Bible of Luther's Version and as Testimonies chanced to be alledged thence he commanded that they should be turned to that he might consider that which is the Fountain of all Truth Insomuch that the said Melancthon could not but admire and talk of his Learning Prudence Piety and Dexterity to such as he conversed with and particularly to Iohn Caesar to whom in a Letter he gave a particular Account of this Affair And it is to be noted by the way that the said Book according to which the Reformation was to be modelled contained only as Melancthon in his Letter suggested a necessary Instruction for all Children and the Sum of the Christian Doctrine and the Appointments for the Colleges and Ecclesiastical Hierarchy were very moderate the Form of the Ecclesiastical Polity being to remain as it was and so were the Colleges with their Dignities Wealth Degrees Ornaments thereunto belonging only great Superstitions should be taken away Which the wise Melancthon aforesaid did so approve of that he professed he had often propounded it in Diets of the German Nation as the best way to Peace And this I add that it might be observed how Arch-bishop Cranmer went by the same Measures in the Reformation of the Church of England maintaining the Hierarchy and the Revenues Dignities and Customs of it against many in those Times that were for the utter abolishing them as Relicks of Popery Such a Correspondence there was between our Arch-bishop and the wisest moderatest and most learned Divines of Germany But let us look nearer Home CHAP. XXXII Troubles of Bishop Tonstal AS the last Year we heard of the Deprivation of two Popish Bishops so this Year another underwent the like Censure I mean Tonstal Bishop of Durham whose Business I shall the rather relate because our Arch-bishop had some Concern in it Septemb. 21. A Commission was issued out to the Lord Chief Justice and his Colleagues to examine and determine the Cause of Tonstal Bishop of Durham and eight Writings touching the same which he is willed to consider and to proceed to the hearing and ordering of the Matter as soon as he may get the rest of his Colleagues to him It was not long after viz. about the midst of October that this Bishop by these Commissioners whose Names besides the Chief Justice do not occur was deprived and his Estate confiscated Octob. ult Sir Iohn Mason was ordered by the Council to deliver to the use of Dr. Tonstal so he is now stiled remaining Prisoner in the Tower such Money as should serve for his Necessities until such time as further Order shall be taken touching his Goods and Money lately appertaining to him Decemb. 6. It was agreed by the Council that Dr.
Notwithstanding this cleansing of the Church from Superstition and Idolatry and bringing in the Knowledg of the Gospel by the Arch-bishop's constant Pains and Study the People generally even the Professors themselves were bad enough as to their Morals and Religion had yet got but little hold of them A clear sight of the Behaviour of these Times may be seen by what Tho. Becon a Chaplain of Cranmer's writ in his Preface to a Book put forth in those Days What a nomber of fals Christians lyve ther at thys present day unto the excedynge dishonour of the Christen Profession which with theyr Mouth confesse that they know God but with theyr Dedes they utterly denye hym and are abhominable disobedient to the Word of God and utterlye estranged from al good Works What a swarm of grosse Gospellers have we also among us which can prattle of the Gospel very fynely talk much of the Justification of Faith crake very stoutly of the free remissyon of all theyr Sins by Christ's Blood avaunce themselves to be of the Number of those which are predestinate unto Eternal Glory But how far do theyr Life differ from al true Christianitie They are puffed up with al kynd of Pryde they swel with al kynd of Envy Malice Hatred and Enmity against theyr Neghbour they brenne with unquencheable Lusts of Carnal Concupiscence they walowe and tumble in al kynd of beastly Pleasures theyr gredy covetous Affects are insatiable thenlarging of theyr Lordshipps thencreasyng of theyr Substance the scrapyng together of theyr Worldly Possessions infynite and knoweth no End In fyne all theyr Endeavours tend unto thys End to shew themselves very Ethnycks and utterly estraunged from God in theyr Conversation although in Words they otherwise pretend As for theyr Almes-Dedes theyr Praying theyr Watchyng theyr Fastyng and such other Godly Exercises of the Spirit they are utterly banished from these rude and gross Gospellers All theyr Religion consisteth in Words and Disputations in Christen Acts and Godly Dedes nothyng at all These evil Manners of the Professors themselves looked with so sad a Face that it made the best Men assuredly expect a Change and woful Times to follow Septemb. 27. A Letter was sent from the Council to the Arch-bishop to examine a Sect newly sprung up in Kent Whereof there was now a Book of Examinations sent him and to commune with a Man and a Woman the Informers bearers of the Letter who could inform him somewhat of the Matter And to take such order in the same according to the Commission that these Errors might not be suffered thus to overspread the King's Faithful Subjects What this Sect was appeareth not The Anabaptists were taken notice of and a Commission issued out against them some Years before These were Sectaries more new and whereof the Council very lately was informed It may be they were of the Family of Love or David George his Sect who made himself some-time Christ and some-time the Holy Ghost For a little before these Times divers Sects sprang up under the Profession of the Gospel in High and Low Germany some whereof dispersed themselves into England Which Sects began to do so much hurt to the Reformation among us that the Author before-mentioned laments it in these words What wicked and ungodly Opinions are there sown now-a-days of the Anabaptists Davidians Libertines and such other pestilent Sects in the Hearts of the People unto the great Disquietness of Christ's Church moving rather unto Sedition than unto pure Religion unto Heresy than unto things Godly The examination of this new Sect was one of the Businesses the Arch-bishop was employed in while he was in his Retirement at his House near Canterbury Another was the sitting upon a Commission to him and other Gentlemen of Kent for enquiry after such as had embezelled the Plate and Goods belonging to Chauntries c. given by the Parliament to the King and converting them to their own uses But this being somewhat an odious Work he was not very forward to enter upon especially because he thought whatsoever he and the other Commissioners should recover would be but swallowed up by the Duke of Northumberland and his Friends and the King be little the better But because he did not make more haste he was charged by his Enemies at Court as a neglecter of the King's Business Which cost him a Letter in excuse of himself to the said Duke signifying that he omitted this Business a while till the Gentlemen and Justices of Peace of Kent who where then mostly at London were come home Decemb. 2. A Letter was sent from the Council to the Arch-bishop to grant out a Warrant Ad Installandum for the Bishop of VVorcester and Glocester without paying any Fees for the same because he paid Fees for another Mandate which served to no purpose Febr. 20. An Order was sent to the Arch-bishop from the Council to examine the Vicar of Beden in the County of Berks according to an Information inclosed and to advertise the Lords of his Proceedings therein What this Vicar's Crime was I know not but I observe about these Times the Priests and Curats were very busy Men and would take liberty sometimes to speak against the King's Proceedings or his Arch-bishop with bitterness enough and sometimes to vent fond Opinions so that oftentimes they were fetched up to the Council-board and after an Appearance or two referred to the Arch-bishop to examine and punish as being Matters relating to Religion and so proper for his Cognizance About the latter end of this Year Thomas Sampson was preferred to the Deanery of Chichester having been Parson of Alhallowes-Bredstreet London February the 2 d A Letter was sent from the Privy-Council to the Arch-bishop to bestow the said Living upon Mr. Knox who was one of the King's Chaplains and in good esteem in the Court for his Gift of Preaching This Knox was the Man whose Name was so dashed in the King's Journal where the Names of the King 's six Chaplains were inserted that Bishop Burnet could not read it The Council bare a great favour to him as appears by those several Letters they wrote in his behalf One was mentioned before sent to the Arch-bishop for a Living in London but in that Knox succeeded not the Arch-bishop preferring Laurence Saunders afterwards a Martyr thereunto Knox being sent this Year into the North one of the King 's Itinerary Preachers a Warrant dated Octob. 27 was granted from the Council to four Gentlemen to pay to him his Majesty's Preacher in the North so he is stiled forty Pounds as his Majesty's Reward And again Decemb. 9 a Letter was sent from the Council to the Lord VVharton who was Lord VVarden in the Northern Borders in commendation of Mr. Knox. And the next Year viz. 1553 being returned out of the North and being then in Buckinghamshire that he might find the more acceptance and respect there the
to bring the same more easily to pass some have abused the Name of Me Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury bruting abroad that I have set up the Mass at Canterbury and that I offered to say Mass before the Queen's Highness and at Paul's Church and I wot not where I have been well exercised these twenty Years to suffer and bear evil Reports and Lies and have not been mych grieved thereat and have born all things quietly Yet when untrue Reports and Lies turn to the hindrance of God's Truth they be in no wise to be tolerate and suffered Wherefore these be to signify to the World that it was not I that did set up the Mass at Canterbury but it was a false flattering lying and dissembling Monk which caused the Mass to be set up there without my Advice or Counsel And as for offering my self to say Mass before the Queen's Highness or in any othea Place I never did as her Grace knoweth well But if hâ—r Grace will give me leave I shall be ready to prove against all that will say the contrary and that the Communion-Book set forth by the most innocent and godly Prince K. Edward VI in his High Court of Parliament is conformable to the Order which our Saviour Christ did both observe and command to be observed and which his Apostles and Primitive Church used many Years Whereas the Mass in many things not only hath no Foundation of Christ his Apostles nor the Primitive Church but also is manifest contrary to the same and containeth many horrible Blasphemies in it And altho many either unlearned or maliciously do report that Mr. Peter Martyr is unlearned yet if the Queen's Highness will graunt thereunto I with the said Mr. Peter Martyr and other four or five which I shall choose will by God's Grace take upon us to defend that not only our Common-Prayers of the Churches Ministration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies but also that all the Doctrine and Religion by our said Soveraign Lord K. Edward VI is more pure and according to God's Word than any that hath been used in England these thousand Years so that God's Word may be the Judg and that the Reason and Profes may be set out in writing To th entent as well all the World may examine and Judg them as that no Man shall start back from their Writing and what Faith hath been in the Church these fifteen hundred Years we will joyne with them in this Point and that the Doctrine and Usage is to be followed which was in the Church fifteen hundred Years past And we shall prove that the Order of the Church set out at this present in this Church of England by Act of Parliament is the same that was used in the Church fifteen hundred Years past And so shall they never be able to prove theirs Some Copies of this Declaration soon fell into the Hands of certain Bishops who brought them to the Council The Council sent a Copy to the Queen's Commissioners Who soon after ordered him to appear before them and to bring in an Inventory of his Goods The reason as is alledged of his being ordered to bring in this Inventory was because it was then intended that he should have a sufficient Living assigned him and to keep his House and not meddle with Religion So on the Day appointed which was August 27 the Arch-bishop together with Sir Thomas Smith Secretary of State to K. Edward and May Dean of S. Pauls came before the Queen's Commissioners in the Consistory of Pauls and the Arch-bishop brought in his Inventory We are left to guess what he was now cited for I suppose it was to lay to his charge Heresy and his Marriage What more was done with him at this time I find not He retired to his House at Lambeth where he seemed to be confined For about the beginning of August as may be collected from a Letter of the Arch-bishop's to Cecyl he was before the Council about the Lady Iane's Business without all question And then with the severe Reprimands he received was charged to keep his House and be forth-coming At that time he espied Cecyl who was in the same Condemnation and would fain have spoken with him but durst not as he told him in a Letter dated August 14 as it seems out of his Love and Care of him lest his very talking with Cecyl might have been prejudicial to that Pardon which he now lay fair for But by Letter he desired him to come over to him to Lambeth because he would gladly commune with him to hear how Matters went and for some other private Causes Cecyl being now at Liâ—erty September 13 following the Arch-bishop was again summoned to appear that Day before the Queen's Council Then he appeared and was dismissed but commanded to be the next Day in the Star-Chamber And so he was The effect of which appearance was that he was committed to the Tower partly for setting his Hrnd to the Instrument of the Lady Iane's Succession and partly for the publick Offer he made a little before of justifying openly the Religious Proceedings of the deceased King But the chief Reason was the inveterate Malice his Enemies conceived against him for the Divorse of K. Henry from the Queen's Mother the blame of which they laid wholly upon him though Bishop Gardiner and other Bishops were concerned in it as deep as he In the Tower we leave the good Arch-bishop a while after we have told you that soon after the Queen coming to the Tower some of the Arch-bishop's Friends made humble suit for his Pardon and that he might have access to her but She would neither hear him nor see him Holgate also the other Arch-bishop about the beginning of October was committed to the Tower upon pretence of Treason or great Crimes but chiefly I suppose because he was Rich. And while he was there they rifled his Houses at Battersea and Cawood At his former House they seized in Gold coined three hundred Pounds in Specialties and good Debts four hundred Pounds more in Plate gilt and Parcel gilt sixteen hundred Ounces A Mitre of fine Gold with two Pendants set round about the sides and midst with very fine pointed Diamonds Saphires and Balists and all the Plain with other good Stones and Pearls and the Pendants in like manner weighing one hundred twenty five Ounces Six or seven great Rings of fine Gold with Stones in them whereof were three fine blew Saphires of the best an Emerald very fine a good Turkeys and a Diamond a Serpent's Tongue set in a Standard of Silver gilt and graven the Arch-bishop's seal in silver his Signet an old Antick in Gold The Counterpane of his Lease of Wotton betwixt the late Duke of Northumberland and him with Letters Patents of his Purchase of Scrowby Taken from Cawood and other Places appertaining to the Arch-bishop by one Ellis Markham First in ready Money nine hundred
deprived of their Receits somewhat after the day with the which their Fruits to the Queen's Majesty should be contented And in general the Deprivations were so speedy so hastily so without warning c. The Bishops saith another Writer and Sufferer in these Days that were Married were thrust out of the Parliament-House and all Married Deans and Arch-deacons out of the Convocation many put out of their Livings and others restored without Form of Law Yea some Noble-men and Gentlemen were deprived of those Lands which the King had given them without tarrying for any Law lest my Lord of VVinchester should have lost his Quarter's Rent Many Churches were changed many Altars set up many Masses said many Dirges sung before the Law was repealed All was done in post haste Nor was their Deprivation all they endured but they together with many other Professors of the Religion were taken up very fast For VVinchester did resolve to make quick Work to reduce if he could the Realm to the old Religion So that they came into the Marshalsea thick and three-fold for Religion sent by him thither And that they might be sure to suffer Hardship enough when the Bishop's Almoner Mr. Brook's he who was I suppose after Bishop of Glocester came to this Prison with his Master's Alms-Basket he told the Porter named Britain that it was his Lord's Pleasure that none of the Hereticks that lay there should have any part of his Alms. And that if he knew any of them had any part thereof that House should never have it again so long as he lived To which the Porter replied That he would have a care of that he would warrant him and that if they had no Meat till they had some of his Lordship's they should be like to starve And so he bad him tell his Lord and added That they should get no favour at his Hand These Sufferings P. Martyr now gotten out of England took notice of in a Letter to Calvin dated Novemb. 3. Where having related to him how the two Arch-bishops of Canterbury and York the Bishops of Worcester and Exon and many other Learned and Pious Preachers were in Bonds for the Gospel and together with them many other godly Persons were in extream Danger he proceeded to mention two things to Calvin to mitigate the Trouble he knew he conceived for this ill News The own was That although the Infirmity of some betrayed them yet great was the constancy of far more than he could have thought So that he doubted not England would have many famous Martyrs if Winchester who then did all should begin to Rage according to his Will The other was That it was the Judgment of all that this Calamity would not be long And therefore said Martyr let us pray to God that he would quickly tread down Satan under the Feet of his Church The same Learned Man speaking in another Letter concerning the good Forwardness of Religion at the first coming of Queen Mary to the Crown said That he had many Scholars in England Students in Divinity not to be repented of whose Harvest was almost ripe Whom he was forced to see either wandring about in uncertain Stations or remaining at home unhappily subverted And that there was in this Kingdom many Holy as well as Learned Bishops that were then in hard Confinement and soon to be dragged to the extremest Punishments as if they were Robbers And that here was the foundation of the Gospel and of a Noble Church laid and by the Labours of some Years the holy Building had well gone forward and daily better things were hoped for But that unless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God from above came to the succour of it he thought there would not be a Footstep of Godliness left at last as to the external Profession All the Matters of the Church the Queen left wholly to the management of the Bishop of Winchester whom She now advanced from a Prisoner in the Tower to be Lord High Chancellor of England And indeed the Governance of the whole Realm was committed to him with a few other He ruled Matters as he would and that all England knew and saw plainly Nay the Consent of the whole Parliament followed his Head and his Will So that against their Wills and against the Wills of many thousand true Hearts in the Realm as they of the Parliament well knew they condescended unto him and what he could not do in one Parliament that he did in another So that in a Year and an half he had three Parliaments During which time many things the Parliament condescended unto against their Wills As that the Queen should Marry with a Foreign Prince that the Service in the English Tongue should be taken away that the Bishop of Rome should have his old ejected Authority here again as one of the Divines in those Times had intended to have told Winchester to his Face had he been permitted Speech October 1. The Queen was Crowned at the Abby-Church at Westminster And then was proclaimed a Pardon but not over-gracious For all the Prisoners in the Tower and Fleet were excepted and sixty two besides whereof the Printers of the Bible Grafton and Whitchurch were two Most of these excepted were of the chief Professors of the Gospel No Pardon for them At the Coronation among other triumphal Showes Paul's Steeple bare top and top Gallant like a Ship with many Flags and Banners and a Man stood triumphing and danceing on the top Whereat one Vnderhill a Gentleman that sat on Horse-back there to see the Show said to those about him At the Coronation of King Edward I saw Paul's Steeple lay at Anchor and now She wears top and top Gallant Surely the next will be Ship-wrack or it be long And indeed there followed a Ship-wrack of the Church The Service established in K. Edward's Days did not cease upon Queen Mary's grasping the Scepter But the Ministers performed the Worship of God and celebrated the Holy Sacrament and used the Common-Prayer diligently and constantly And the People frequented the same with more seriousness than before They foresaw what Times were coming which made them meet often together while they might Lamenting bitterly the Death of K. Edward and partaking of the Sacrament with much Devotion It was the Bishop of Winchester's Resolution to redress this in London For he was purposed to stifle the Religion as speedily and as vigorously as he could And one way he had to do this was to send his Spies into all the Churches in London And these would come into the Churches and disturb the Ministers with rude Words and Actions in their very Ministration and then go to the Bishop and make their Informations And so the Ministers were fetch'd up by the Officers before him and then committed unless they would comply And this in the very beginning of the Queen's Reign when the Preachers did
but to take the King and his Successors for Supream Heads thereof And he was perjured again in taking his Bishoprick both of the Queen and the Pope making to each of them a solemn Oath Which Oaths be so contrary that the one must needs be Perjury And further in swearing to the Pope to maintain his Laws Decrees Constitutions and Ordinances he declared himself an Enemy to the Imperial Crown and to the Laws of the Realm Whereby he shewed himself not worthy to sit as a Judg in this Realm This was the Sum of this excellent Letter of the Arch-bishop to the Queen He wrote another to her soon after wherein he plainly told her That at her Coronation she took an Oath to the Pope to be obedient to him to defend his Person to maintain his Authority Honour Laws and Privileges And at the same time another Oath to the Kingdom to maintain the Laws Liberties and Customs of the same He prayed her to weigh both Oaths and see how they did agree and then to do as her Grace's Conscience should give her For he was sure he said she would not willingly offend He feared there were Contradictions in her Oaths and that those that should have informed her Majesty thoroughly did not their Duties herein He complained that he was now kept from Company of Learned Men from Books from Counsel and from Pen and Ink saving to write to her Majesty at that time and as to his appearance at Rome he said if she would give him leave he would appear there and he trusted God would put in his Mouth to defend his Truth there as well as here These Letters of his one of the Bailiffs of Oxon carried up to the Queen Something else he wrote to her enclosed and sealed which he required Martyn and Story to be delivered without delay and not to be opened until it were delivered unto her own Hands These and other of his smart and learned Letters no question made Impression upon the Queen or at least upon those that read them for they were delivered by the Queen to no less a Person than the Holy Father Cardinal Pole himself who was advised to frame an Answer to them So he wrote to the Arch-bishop in answer to one of them a long Letter dated from St. Iames's Novemb. 6. Wherein he pretended a great deal of Compassion to his Soul which he told him was ready to be lost as well as his Body And that the Condemnation that was lately past on him was so horrible to him to hear that he testified to him before God and upon the Salvation of his Soul that he would rather chuse to be the Means of bringing him to Repentance than to receive the greatest Benefit that could be given him under Heaven in this World Which the Cardinal might say to take off the Odium of the Suspicion as though he hastened Cranmer's Death that he might jump into his Place And so the Cardinal proceeded to attempt to convince him in the two great Points of his Letter viz. concerning the Authority of the Pope and concerning the Sacrament of the Altar Especially because Cranmer had said in his Letter That he would not be perverse to stand wilfully in his own Opinion if any could shew him by Reason that his Doctrines were Erroneous But I refer the Reader to the Appendix if he be minded to read the Cardinal's Letter which I met with among Fox's Manuscripts By comparing of this Letter of Pole's with that of Cranmer's any one may see a mighty difference Strength Evidence and Conviction in the Arch-bishop's who had Truth on his Side but a Flashiness and Debility in the Cardinal 's made up of poor Shifts and weak Arguings and impertinent Allegations of Scripture and personal Reflections to help out a bad Cause To mention some few of this sort He charged the Arch-bishop with Covetousness and Ambition in affecting the Archbishoprick And then by and by not well remembering what he had said before in his Heat against the good Arch-bishop he gives a contrary Reason thereof namely That he might be in a capacity to reform the Church according to his Mind And that it was for the sake of that that he took an Oath to the Pope at his Consecration though he were fain to make a Protestation against the said Oath He said in this Letter That the Arch-bishop's fall into Error was not as the fall of others usually were by Frailty or Curiosity but by deliberate Malice And that the Arch-bishop by his Protestation that he made before he took his Oath to the Pope brake his Oath and was forsworn before he did swear Which methinks is pretty strange And concerning this Protestation he said It was a privy Protestation and that he had privy Witnesses of it Whereas it was done in the most open and publick manner that could be two or three times over before Publick Notaries and by them entred on Record on purpose that all might take notice of it And whereas the Arch-bishop had said That it was much more probable that the Bread and Wine should be a Figure than the real Body and Blood The Cardinal said The more probable it was the more false because the great Sophister and Father of Lies deceived by probability of Reason The Consequence whereof one would think should be the more improbable any Opinion in Religion was the more true But he said the true Doctrine was taught another way He represented the Arch-bishop as challenging them of the other Side to bring any one single Doctor of the Church that ever spake in favour of Transubstantiation leaving out For a thousand Years next after Christ which the Arch-bishop expresly had said And in fine every where he triumphed over the Arch-bishop's wilful Blindness and Ignorance and told him in much Charity That he was under the Vengeance of God a Member of Satan and damned This and a great deal more may be seen in Pole's Letter To which I might have added another Letter of the said Cardinal to the same Arch-bishop concerning the Sacrament a little after the Disputation at Oxford but that it would be too prolix being a just Treatise against Cranmer's Book of that Argument This Treatise bears this Title REGINALDI POLI Cardinalis Legati Apostolici Epistola ad Thomam Cranmerum qui Archiepiscopalem sedem Cantuariensis Ecclesiae tenens novam de Sacramento Eucharistiae Doctrinam contra perpetuum Catholicae Ecclesiae consensum professus est ac tradidit Qua Epistola eum nec Magistrum tanti Mysterii neque Discipulum idoneum esse posse Simulque unde hic ejus Error manarit ostendit Eâ— ad poenitentiam hortatur CHAP. XXI He Recants Repents and is burnt HAving brought the Arch-bishop unto his Degradation and Appeal wherein he shewed so much Christian Courage Wisdom and Fortitude I must now represent him making a great Trip and a sad Fall and mention one of the
his Inconstancy viz. That he that was an earnest Protestant but the day before and one whom Dr. Sands had done much good for was now become a Papist and his great Enemy Thus was our Arch-bishop a Friend to this Man and divers others who went along with him as far as he and the Times favoured them but when these failed them they failed the Arch-bishop through Timorousness in some and worldly Respects in others But onâ—e more of this Dr. Mowse and I have done with him As a Reward of his forwardness at Cambridg before mentioned I find he was soon after incorporated at Oxon together with Andrew Pern D.D. a Man of the same Inconstancy and preferred to be Reader of the Civil Law there in the room of Dr. Aubrey who probably was removed for Incompliance And when the next Change happened under Queen Elizabeth Mowse came about again and in the Year 1560 obtained a Prebend in the Church of York He lived till the Year 1588 leaving some Benefactions to his old College The Arch-bishop was indeed a great Patron to all Learned and Pious Men especially those of the Reformation cherishing those not only of his own Country but Foreigners and Strangers also And as he brought over divers with him when he returned into England from his Embassy in Germany so he sent for more And such as came to him he gave honourable Harbour and Maintenance to keeping them at his own Cost till he had made Provisions for them either in the Church or University For Erasmus our Arch-bishop had a great value whose Worth and Service to the Church he well knew He allowed him an Honorary Pension promising him that he would be no less kind unto him than his Predecessor Warham had been before him Which Arch-bishop was one of Erasmus his best and most extraordinary Friends and Benefactors Of whom he used these words to a Friend of his Qui mihi unus multorum instar erat Soon after the succession of Cranmer into this Arch-bishop's Room Sir Thomas More wrote to Erasmus that he that then filled the See of Canterbury bore no less love to him than Warham had done before and Quo non alius vixit tui amantior That there was no Man living loved him better And Erasmus himself mentioning his great Loss in Arch-bishop VVarham and divers other Patrons of his that were taken off by Death comforted himself that God had made up those Losses to him by raising him up other Friends So saith he in the room of VVarham succeeded the Reverend Thomas Cranmer Professione Theologus Vir integerrimus candidissimisque moribus Qui ultro pollicitus est sese in studio ac beneficentia erga me priori nequaquam cessurum quod sponte pollicitus est sponte praestare coepit ut mihi Vuaramus non ereptus sed in Cranmero renatus videri queat By Profession a Divine a Person of the greatest Integrity and most unblamable Behaviour VVho of his own accord promised That in Favour and Kindness toward me he would be no ways behind his Predecessor And that which he voluntarily promised he hath voluntarily begun to make good So that methinks Warham is not taken away from me but rather Born again to me in Cranmer One Specimen of his Munificence towards this Learned Man I meet with in one of his Letters wherein he acknowledged to have received of Cranmer eighteen Angels when the Bishop of Lincoln sent him also Fifteen and the Lord Crumwel Twenty Alexander Aless was another Learned Stranger whom our Arch-bishop gave Harbour and shewed Favour to A Scotch-Man by Birth but that had long lived and conversed with Melancthon in Germany Who knowing the generous and hospitable Disposition of the Arch-bishop recommended this Aless to him giving a high Character of him for his Learning Probity and Diligence in every good Office In the Year 1535 he brought over from Melancthon a Book to be presented to the Arch-bishop wherein That Learned German laboured as he told the Arch-bishop in his Letter sent at the same time to state diligently and profitably most of the Controversies and as much as he could to mitigate them leaving the Judgment of the whole unto his Grace and such learned and pious Men as He from whose Judgment he said he would never differ in the Church of Christ desiring him also to acquaint Aless what his Grace's own Judgment was of the Book that Aless might signify the same unto him Such was the Deference Melancthon gave unto the Learning and Censure of Cranmer This Book I should suppose to have been his Common Places but that they came out a Year after By the same Messenger he sent another of these Books to be presented in his Name to the King and in case the Arch-bishop approved of what he had wrote he entreated him to introduce the Bringer and to assist him in the presenting of it Upon these Recommendations of Aless and the Arch-bishop's own Satisfaction in the Worth of the Man he retained him with him at Lambeth and much esteemed him This was that Aless that Crumwel probably by Cranmer's means brought with him to the Convocation in the Year 1536 whom he desired to deliver there his Opinion about the Sacrament Who did so and enlarged in a Discourse asserting two Sacraments only instituted by Christ namely Baptism and the Lord's Supper As the Author of the British Antiquities relates ad Ann. 1537. calling him there Virum in Theologia perductum A thorow-paced Divine This Man compiled a useful Treatise against the Schism laid to the Charge of Protestants by those of the Church of Rome The Substance and Arguments of which Book were Melancthon's own Invention but Aless composed and brought it into Method and Words This Book Melancthon sent unto George Prince of Anhalt The Consolations of which as he wrote to that Noble and Religious Man he was wont to inculcate upon himself against those who objected commonly to them the horrible Crime of Schism as he stiles it For saith he their monstrous Cruelty is sufficient to excuse us Which it seems was one of the Arguments whereby they defended themselves against that Charge Esteeming it lawful and necessary to leave the Communion of a Church which countenanced and practised Cruelty a thing so contrary to one of the great and fundamental Laws of Christian Religion namely that of Love and that their abiding in a Church where such bloody and barbarous Practices were would argue their approbation and concurrence And as Melancthon made use of him in composing his Thoughts into a handsom Stile so did another great Light of the same Nation I mean Bucer In King Edward's Days he had wrote a Book in the German that is in his own Country-Language about Ordination to the Ministery in this Kingdom of England intituled Ordinatio Ecclesiae seu Ministerii Eccesiastici in florentissimo Angliae regno This our
that Posterity might have a Rule to follow And he was of opinion that this Confession should be much of the nature of their Confession of Augsburgh only that some few Points in Controversy might be in plainer Words delivered than was in that That Ambiguities might not hereafter occasion new Differences And that in the Church it was best to call a Spade a Spade and not to cast ambiguous Words before Posterity as an Apple of Contention And that if in Germany there had been an intire Consent of all the Churches they had not fallen into those Miseries And so concludes earnestly exhorting our Prelat to apply himself vigorously in these his pious Cares and Thoughts for the good Estate of the Churches Not long after he pursued his first Letter with a second Wherein he again reminded our Reverend Father of that Caution viz. That nothing might be left under general Terms but exprest with all the Perspicuity and Distinctness imaginable Which I suppose he said to meet with the Opinion of some who thought it might be more convenient in order to Peace to suffer some difficult and controverted Points to pass under dubious Expressions or in the very words of Scripture without any particular decisive Sense and Explanation imposed on them And concerning this 't is probable our Arch-bishop had desired his Opinion This Melancthon was against saying That for his part he loved not Labyrinths and that therefore all his study was That whatsoever Matters he undertook to treat of they might appear plain and unfolded That it was indeed the Practice of the Council of Trent which therefore made such crafty Decrees that so they might defend their Errors by things ambiguously spoken But that this Sophistry ought to be far from the Church That there is no Absurdity in Truth rightly propounded and that this Goodness and Perspicuity of things is greatly inviting wheresoever there be good Minds And of this very Judgment was Peter Martyr another great Divine For when Bucer in a Discourse with him at Strasburg had advised him when he spake of the Eucharist to use more dark and ambiguous Forms of Speech that might be taken in a larger Acceptation urging to him That this was the course he himself took and that a certain good Man whom I suspect strongly to be our Arch-bishop had perswaded him That by this means the great Controversy concerning the Real Presence in the Sacrament might be at an end and so Peace so long wanted might be restored to the Church Martyr was over-perswaded by his Friend so to do and used for some time the same Form of Speech with him when he had occasion to discourse of that Doctrine But afterward he returned to his former more dilucid Stile as well in the Matter of the Real Presence as in all other Subjects he treated of And that both because he saw this would not suffice them who held a gross and carnal Presence of Christ's Body unless their gross manner of Expression were received and their as gross Interpretation too and because he found that many weaker Brethren were greatly offended with these Ambiguities of Speech and so intangled and confounded that they scarce knew what to think in this Point And so leaving Bucer to pursue his obscurer Phrases he chose to speak more clearly and distinctly And neither did Bucer disallow of Martyr in this Course nor was Martyr ignorant of Bucer's true Sense however doubtful his Expressions were as the Author of his Life tells us This I mention to shew how exactly Martyr accorded with Melancthon in this Opinion of expressing things in clear and perspicuous Terms which the said Melancthon thought it highly necessary now to be inculcated when deliberation was had of drawing up a General Confession of Faith After he had thus declared his Mind in this Matter he particularly descended to the Doctrine of Fate telling the Arch-bishop how the Stoical Disputes of that Subject among them in the beginning were too rough and horrid and such as were prejudicial to Discipline Which I suppose might be occasioned from some Passage in the Arch-bishop's Letter advising with this Learned Man how to propound the Doctrines of Predestination and Free-Will CHAP. XXV The Arch-bishop corresponds with Calvin THESE his Counsels he brake also to Iohn Calvin the chief Guide of the French Churches Who also highly approved of his pious Proposition The Arch-bishop in a Letter to that great Reformer had been lamenting the Differences that were in the Reformed Churches having his Eye I suppose herein upon those of Geneva and Germany and like a true Father of the Church consulting for the making up of the Breaches he thought no fitter Remedy could be used than for pious and wise Men and such as were well exercised in God's School to meet together and profess their Consents in the Doctrine of Godliness This Calvin acknowledged was rightly and prudently advised by him Applauding him that he did not only lead the way in purging the Doctrine of God's Church from Corruption but did so voluntarily exhort and encourage others therein And that he did not only take care of Religion at Home in his own Country but all the World over And as to the Meeting and Converse of Divines for this purpose which Cranmer had told him he had made the King so sensible of the need and usefulness of that he was forward in it and had offered a Place in his Kingdom for them securely to assemble together in that French Divine wished That Learned and Wise Men from the chief Churches would accordingly meet and diligently discussing the chief Heads of Faith would by common Consent deliver to Posterity the certain Doctrine of the Scripture But that among the great Evils of that Age this also was to be reputed that Churches were so divided from one another that Human Society was scarcely kept up among them much less that Sacred Communion of the Members of Christ which all profest with their Mouths but few did sincerely take care to preserve That as to himself if he might be thought to be of any Use he would not grudg to pass over ten Seas if there were need That if it were only to contribute some Assistance to the Kingdom of England he should esteem it a Reason lawful enough but much more he thought he ought to spare no Labour no Trouble to procure a Means whereby the Churches that were so widely divided might unite among themselves But he hoped his Weakness and Insufficiency being such he might be spared and that he would do his part in prosecuting that with his Prayers and Wishes which should be undertaken by others And whereas our Arch-bishop had hinted to him his Jealousy that the Business would hardly find a good Issue by reason of certain Difficulties attending it Calvin not only exhorted and earnestly beseeched him to go forward till it should have some Effect at least though it succeeded
not in all Respects according to his Wish And so prayed God to guide him with his Holy Spirit and to bless his Pious Endeavours But the Troubles at Home and Abroad frustrated this excellent Purpose which for two Years he had been labouring to bring to some good Issue His next Resolution was to go as far as he could in this Matter since he could not go as far as he would And he bethought himself of assembling together the Divines of his own Church and that by the King's Authority to confer with them about drawing up a Body of Articles of Religion which Purpose he had likewise communicated to Calvin For which he greatly commended him Telling him That since the Times were such that that could not in the least be hoped for which was so much to be wish'd viz. That the chief Teachers of the divers Churches which embraced the pure Doctrine of the Gospel might meet together and publish to Posterity a certain and clear Confession out of the pure Word of God concerning the Heads of Religion then in Controversy he did extreamly commend that Counsel which he had taken to establish Religion in England lest things remaining any longer in an uncertain State or not so rightly and duly composed and framed as it were convenient the Minds of the People should remain in suspence and wavering And then quickening him told him That this was his part chiefly to do That he himself saw well what that Place required of him or rather what God exacted in respect of that Office he had laid upon him That he was of very powerful Authority which he had not only by the amplitude of his Honour but the long-conceived Opinion that went of his Prudence and Integrity That the Eyes of the Good were cast upon him either to follow his Motions or to remain idle upon the pretence of his Unactiveness He took the freedom also with Cranmer to blame him for not having made more Progress in the Reformation Which he thought he might have done in the three Years space wherein King Edward had already reigned And told him That he feared when so many Autumns had been passed in deliberating only at last the Frost of a perpetual Winter might follow Meaning that the People would grow stark cold in minding a Reformation Then he reminded him of his Age that that called upon him to hasten lest if he should be called out of the World before Matters in Religion were settled the Conscience of his Slowness might create great Anxiety to him He particularly put him in Mind of the great want of Pastors to preach the Gospel and that the Churches Revenues were made such a Prey Which he called An intolerable Evil. And said that this was a plain reason why there was so little Preaching among us That a parcel of Slow-bellies were nourished from the Revenues of the Church to sing Vespers in an unknown Tongue But in the close he excused him in regard of the many and great Difficulties that he wrestled with Which were certainly most true In so much that if he had not been a Man of great Conduct and indefatigable Industry the Reformation had not made so fair a Progress as it did in his Time And one may admire rather that he went so far the Iniquity of the Times considered than that he went no farther For the Great Ones in the Minority of the King took their Opportunity most insatiably to fly upon the Spoils of the Church and Charitable Donations little regarding any thing else than to enrich themselves Very vitious and dissolute they were in their Lives as the soberer Sort in those Days complained and therefore the less to be wondered they were so negligent to provide for the promoting the Reformed Religion and Piety in the Land In the mean time the chief Preachers did what they could to redress these Evils For they plainly and boldly rebuked this Evil Governance and especially the Covetousness of the Courtiers and their small regard to live after the Gospel and sometimes incurred no small Danger by this Freedom Mr. Rogers Vicar of S. Sepulchres and afterwards a Martyr under Queen Mary was one of these Who so freely discoursed once at S. Paul's Cross concerning the Abuse of Abbies and the Churches Goods that he was summoned before the Privy-Council to answer for it And so were divers others upon the same Reason And I am apt to think that these Preachers did what they did by the Counsel and Direction of the Arch-bishop So that the present State of Things and the Endeavours of him and the rest of the Clergy considered he was a little too hastily censured by Calvin in that behalf But Cranmer was of so mild and gracious a Spirit that he did not seem to conceive any Displeasure against Calvin for this his unjust Charge of Negligence but kept up a great Esteem and Value for him But that I may take occasion here to insist a little longer upon this Argument and vindicate the Honesty and Boldness of the English Clergy in speaking their Minds against the Sacrilegious Spirit that reigned in these Times it may not be amiss to give some Account of a Communication that happened about December or Ianuary 1552 at Court between Sir William Cecyl the King's Secretary and one Miles Wilson a grave Divine and Acquaintance of the said Cecyl and a Man of Eminency in the University of Cambridg Discourse happening between them of divers and sundry things relating partly to the propagating Christ's Religion and partly to the preservation and encrease of the Common-Wealth the said Wilson delivered to Cecyl an Oration to read which he had composed De rebus Ecclesiae non diripiendis Concerning not spoiling the Church of her Means and which he once pronounced in the Publick Schools of the University about that Time when those Matters were in agitation above Cecyl being a good and conscientious Man had in this Conference signified to him his earnest desire to hear and see what could be proposed out of the Holy Scripture in so unusual an Argument To shew this and to give also a short view of his said Oration because the Secretary's infinite Business would not allow him to read long Discourses Wilson soon after digested the Contents thereof reducing it into some Syllogisms and Ratiocinations more apt to urge and easier to remember and more accommodate to perswade These with his Letter he sent to the Secretary His Ends herein were to satisfy him in this Point being a Man of great Stroke in the Publick Transactions of those Times who might accordingly use his Interest and Endeavour to retrieve what had been so unjustly taken from the Church that the famous Schools lately dissolved to the great ruine of the University might be re-edified again and that those Livings which were miserably spoiled by covetous Patrons might be restored and enjoy their whole Revenues to the real Honour of the
to the Court and Sir William Cranmer a worthy Merchant of London and now Deputy-Governor of the Hamburgh Company But if we look backward the Arch-bishop's Stock and Pedigree was very Antient and of good Credit His Father was Thomas Cranmer of Alacton in Nottinghamshire Esquire and his Mother was Agnes the Daughter of Laurence Hatfield of Willoughby of like Degree a Gentleman if I mistake not of the same County Which two had Issue three Sons Iohn and Thomas our Arch-bishop and Edmund who was the Arch-Deacon and four Daughters Dorothy Ann Iane and Isabel. Which Sisters of our Arch-bishop were thus matched Dorothy to Harold Rosel of Radcliff in this County Esq Ann to Edmund Cartwright of Ossington in Staffordshire Esquire Iane to Iohn Moning Lieutenant of Dover-Castle and Isabel to Sir .... Shepey Knight Matches I suppose especially the two latter of the Arch-bishop's own making for the Preferment of his Sisters His elder Brother Iohn married Ione Daughter of Fretchvile of a good Family in the same County Whose Grand-child Thomas and Grand-Nephew to our Arch-bishop had none but Daughters One of whom being a Coheir married Iohn Rosel Grand-child to Harold aforesaid and the other to good Families in those Parts The Arch-bishop's great Grand-father Edmund married Isabel Daughter and Heir of William de Aslacton a very Antient Family This Edmund was alive in the Reign of Henry VI. In the Church of Whatton in this County is an Antient Monument of an Ancestor of our Arch-bishop with this Inscription Hic jacet Thomas Cranmerus Qui obiit 27 Maii 1501. Cujus animae propitietur Deus Amen And on the Monument the Coat of Arms of the Cranmer's being a Chevron between three Cranes quartered with those of the Aslactons Newmarches Whattons and two Families more This might probably enough be the Arch-bishop's Father The Arch-bishop in the first Year of King Edward VI purchased of that King the Rectories of Whatton and Aslacton the Manors whereof belonged to his Family before with the Advousons of the Churches Both which had pertained to the dissolved Monastery of Welbeck Which Rectories the Arch-bishop as it seems made over to his Nephew Thomas Son to his Brother Iohn For he died seized of them both And they descended to his Son and Heir Thomas The Manors of the said Whatton and Aslacton are now come into the noble Family of Dorchester The Tithes and Glebe to the Armstrongs of Scarrington For these Collections I am beholden to Thoroton's History of Nottinghamshire And now in the last place let us look into the Arch-bishop's Domestick Affairs He took great heed to the Well-government of his Family that all things there might beseem the House of a truly Christian Bishop and the chief Spiritual Governour of the English Church And in order to this one of his Cares was to have Learned Men about him A few whereof as I could retrive them I shall here mention and give some Account of And first let us begin with his Chaplains I can find but a few of them but Men they were of great Parts and Atchievements in Learning as well as Piety One of them was Rowland Taylor Doctor of both Laws and preferred by the Arch-bishop to be Parson of Hadley in Suffolk Who sealed his Doctrine with his Blood An extraordinary Man both for his Learning as well as his bold and brave Profession of Christ's Religion even to the fiery Trial. He had read over which was rare in those Days all S. Augustine's Works S. Cyprian Gregory Nazianzen Eusebius Origen and divers other Fathers He professed the Civil Law and had read over the Canon Law also As he told the Lord Chancellor Gardiner when in his Scorn and Rage together he called him an Ignorant Beetle-brow The Arch-bishop made use of him in his Affairs and he was one of those that were joined with him in King Edward's Days for making a Reformation in the Ecclesiastical Laws Soon after he was invested in his Benefice leaving the AB's Family he went and resided like a careful Pastor and performed among his Parishioners all the Parts of an excellent Minister in respect of his Doctrine Example and Charity He was sent down to his own Parish of Hadley where he was extreamly beloved to be burnt But I refer the Reader to the large and full Account that Fox gives of him in his Book of Acts and Monuments and shall only recite his Epitaph as it now remaineth or lately did in a brass Plate hanging in the Church of Hadley where he deserved so well Gloria in Altissimis Deo OF Rowland Taylor 's Fame I show an Excellent Divine A Doctor of the Civil Law a Preacher rare and fine King Henry and King Edward's Days Preacher and Parson here That gave to God continual Praise and kept his Flock in Fear And for the Truth condemn'd to die he was in Fire and Flame Where he received patiently the Torment of the same And strongly suffered to the End Which made the Standers by Rejoice in God to see their Friend and Pastor so to die O Taylor were thy mighty Fame uprightly here enroll'd Thy Deeds deserve that thy good Name were cipher'd here in Gold Obiit 1555. And in Aldham-Common not far from Hadley Town is a great Stone that assigns the Place where he suffered and on it are written these words or to this effect Dr. Taylor for maintaining what was good In this Place shed his Blood His Living was immediately supplied by one Newal And to deserve his Preferment or by Commandment perhaps from Above to render their taking away Dr. Taylor the more justifiable he made a Sermon February 10 1555 being the Day next after he suffered upon this Text Sic currite ut comprehendatis His Work was to perswade the People to return to the old Superstitions and to bespatter the Martyr with false Reports And meeting with a Writing that containeth the Sum of this Sermon I will crave leave here to insert it to give a Specimen of Popish Preaching in these Days He exhorted to run in the strait Way and leave the wide Gate viz. To leave the new-found Learning and but new found indeed and follow all one Religion For ye were said he erroneously taught by soch Men as died yesterday Of whom I will speak but for no Malice as God I take to record His Opinions were wherefore he died one that Priests might have Wives the other that in the Sacrament was not the very Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ substantially and really The first that Priests should have Wives he could prove by no Scripture but by three other Authors And he was demaunded if he were willing to stand to the last He answered Yea before God Then the Book laid afore him and read to him in Latin and English and he reading the English of it himself said he would read the Latin and so did and confuted himself And stood then
Prison skulking about for some time at length he saved himself by Exile He was a Man mightily tossed about For to look upon him before this in King Henry's Reign then for his Security he was forced to leave his Friends and Country wandring as far as Darbyshire and the Peak where he privately taught School for a Subsistence And coming a mere Stranger into Alsop in the Dale one Mr. Alsop a pious Man in that barbarous Country shewed him great Civility Afterwards he travelled into Stafforâ—shire where he also educated Children in good Literature and instilled into their Minds the Principles of Christian Doctrine After a Year's tarrying there and in Leicester-shire he flitted into Warwick-shire where he taught also divers Gentlemens Sons and where he met with old Father Latimer to his great Joy who had first made him acquainted with the Gospel when he was a Scholar in Cambridg twenty Years before He wrote a great many Books forty in number suted to the various Occasions of Christians both in the Persecutions under Queen Mary and the free Profession and Restoration of the Gospel under King Edward and Queen Elizabeth and many more against the Religion of the Roman Church All these did this learned and painful Author compose for the Benefit of the Professors of Religion Whereby he did such Service to the enlightning of Mens Minds in the knowledg of the Truth and for the exposing the Corruptions of Popery that it was thought convenient that some of that Communion should be employed to write against him And so Richard Smith sometime Reader of Divinity in Oxon and one that had subscribed to the Reformed Religion and after fled into Brabant and became a zealous Assertor of Popery writ in a bitter Stile against some of Becon's Books as he had done against the Arch-bishop himself before I find this Becon put up to preach one of the Lent Sermons at St. Pauls Cross in the Year 1566. And such then was his Fame for a Preacher and such his Favour with the greatest Prelats that the Lord Mayor for that Year sent a Message to Arch-bishop Parker That his Grace would prevail with him to preach one of the Sermons at the Spittle that Easter In the Year 1564 he revised and reprinted all his former Books in three Volumes dedicating the whole to all the Arch-bishops and Bishops of the Realm And in Commendation thereof Parkhurst Bishop of Norwich wrote these Verses to him Vidi perlegi doctos Baecone Libellos Quos tua non pridem Sancta Minerva dedit Dispeream siquid legi unquam sanctius aut si Quid potuit populo tradier utilius Auspice perge Deo tales vulgare Libellos Vaniloquax sed nec lingua timenda tibi est Sic Christum possis avido inculcare popello Sic possis nomen condecorare tuum Besides these there was his Postil being Godly and Learned Sermons on all the Sunday-Gospels in the Year Printed in Quarto in the Year 1567. I shall say no more of his Chaplains after I shall have mentioned Richard Harman Who seems to have been one of his first Chaplains being once of King's-College but went away Scholar probably for Religion afterwards lived in Iesus-College and commenced Master of Arts with Cranmer Whom he also preferred to be his Domestick afterwards This Man was one of those Cambridg-Men that were elected into S. Frideswide's-College in Oxon and suffered much there for Religion He was afterwards a Canon of Windsor but fell back to Popery CHAP. XXIX Arch-bishop Cranmer's Officers I Shall now add a few words of Two of his Civil Officers His Steward and his Secretary on Nevyl was his Steward in K. Henry's Reign who conducted Sir Iohn Seimour coming with a Message from the King through the Hall when the Tables were sumptuously set unto the ABp at Dinner him I have nothing to say of But he had another afterwards named Robert Watson born in Norwich of whom I have a word or two say He was a great Civilian and an Exile for Religion in Queen Mary's Reign But before his escape beyond Sea he lay in Prison in Norwich a Year and four Months saith Bale almost two Years saith Fox And then was most fortunately delivered without doing any Violence to his Conscience by the Subscription which he made Being Abroad he wrote a Piece intituled Aetiologia to all that sincerely professed Christ wheresoever dispersed especially his Countrymen the English banished with him In this Tract he gave a Relation of himself and his Imprisonment and Escape and of the Disputes that happened between him and his Adversaries concerning Transubstantiation and the Real Presence of Christ in the Sacrament and by what means he escaped safe in Body and Conscience Which was a rare Matter to do from such Inquisitors It was propounded to him to set his Hand to these words viz. That he believed and confessed that the Bread and Wine in the Eucharist through the Omnipotency of God's Word pronounced by the Priest were turned into the Body and Blood of Christ and after Consecration under the Forms of Bread and Wine remained the true Body and Blood of Christ and no other Substance To which he made this Subscription His omnibus eatenus assentior subscribo quatenus Verbo Dei nituntur eoque sensu quo sunt ab Ecclesia Catholica a Sanctis Patribus intellecta By the Means of one Dr. Barret a Learned Friar of Norwich he was upon this favourable Subscription dismissed But Christopherson Dean of Norwich when he understood it was much incensed and laid out to take him again But he by the help of Friends escaped over the Seas Now lastly of Ralph Morice his Secretary so much employed and so greatly intrusted by our Arch-bishop it may not be amiss to set down a few Memorials He was his Secretary not so much for ordinary Matters incident to his Archiepiscopal Office as his Amanuensis for Learned Treatises and Discourses which he composed In this Place he remained for twenty Years that is from the Arch-bishop's first entrance upon his See to the Death of King Edward VI his good Master He was a very considerable Person and of good Birth being the Son of Iames Morice of Royden in the County of Essex Esq. Which Iames was sometime Servant unto the Lady Margaret Countess of Richmond and Derby and Clerk of her Kitchin and Master of her Works and particularly of Christs-College and S. Iohns in Cambridg both which she founded He also and his Son William were joint Receivers of the Lands called Richmond-Lands and other Lands called the Recovered-Lands Our Ralph by reason of his Service about the Arch-bishop was well known to Bishop Heth Bishop Thirlby Bishop Cox Bishop Barlow and Bishop Scory Men that were much about the Arch-bishop and his Friends and who were privy to those Volumes that the Secretary writ out for his Master He dwelt sometime in Chartham not far from Canterbury and had the
Apostles of Iesus Christ. And wished heartily that the Christian Conversation of the People were the Letters and Seals of their Offices as the Corinthians were to St. Paul who told them that They were his Letters and the Signs of his Apostleship and not Paper Parchment Lead or Wax Great indeed and painful was his Diligence in promoting God's Truth and reforming this Church Insomuch that he raised up against himself the Malice and Hatred of very many thereby These Memorials before related do abundantly evince the same The Words of Thomas Becon in an Epistle Dedicatory deserve here to be transcribed In plucking up the Enemies Tares and in purging the Lord's Field that nothing may grow therein but pure Wheat your most godly and unrestful Pains most Reverend Father are well known in this Church of England and thankfully accepted of all faithful Christen Hearts Insomuch that very many do daily render unto God most humble and hearty Thanks for the singular and great Benefits which they have received of him through your vertuous Travel in attaining the true Knowledg of Justification and of the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood those two things especially he laboured to retrieve and promote a true Knowledg of and such other Holy Mysteries of our Profession And albeit the Devil roar the World rage and the Hypocrites swell at these your most Christian Labours which you willingly take for the Glory of God and the Edifying of his Congregation yet as you have godly begun so without ceasing continue unto the end And so he did to the effusion of his Blood not many Years after For he was very sensible of the gross Abuses and Corruptions into which the Christian Church had sunk Which made him labour much to get it purged and restored to its Primitive Constitution and Beauty And this he ceased not to make King Henry sensible of putting him upon the Reformation of the English Church as he could find Occasion and Convenience serve him to move him thereunto Which found at last that good effect upon the King that towards the latter Years of his Reign he was fully purposed to proceed to a regulating of many more things than he had done But the subtilty of Gardiner Bp of Winton and his own Death prevented his good Designs While the aforesaid Bishop was Ambassador Abroad employed about the League between the Emperor and the English and French Kings our Arch-bishop took the opportunity of his Absence to urge the King much to a Reformation and the King was willing to enter into serious Conference with him about it And at last he prevailed with the King to resolve to have the Roods in every Church pulled down and the accustomed Ringing on Alhallow-Night suppress'd and some other vain Ceremonies And it proceeded so far that upon the Arch-bishop's going into Kent to visit his Diocess the King ordered him to cause two Letters to be drawn up prepared for him to sign The one to be directed to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and the other to the Arch-bishop of York Who were therein to be commanded to issue forth their Precepts to all the Bishops in their respective Provinces to see those Enormities redressed without delay Which our Arch-bishop accordingly appointed his Secretary to do And the Letters so drawn up were sent by the Arch-bishop up to Court But the King upon some Reasons of State suggested to him in a Letter from Gardiner his Ambassador beyond Sea being by some made privy to these Transactions suspended the signing of them And that put a stop to this Business for that time till some time after the King at the Royal Banquet made for Annebault the French King's Ambassador leaning upon him and the Arch-bishop told them both his Resolution of proceeding to a total Reformation of Religion signifying that within half a Year the Mass both in his Kingdom and in that of France should be changed into a Communion and the usurped Power of the Bishop of Rome should be wholly rooted out of both and that both Kings intended to exhort the Emperor to do the same in his Territories or else they would break off the League with him And at that time also he willed the Arch-bishop to draw up a Form of this Reformation to be sent to the French King to consider of This he spake in the Month of August a few Months before his Death This his Purpose he also signified to Dr. Bruno Ambassador here from Iohn Frederick Duke of Saxony some little time after saying That if his Master's Quarrel with the Emperor was only concerning Religion he advised him to stand to it strongly and he would take his part But the King's Death prevented all And as for this King 's next Successor King Edward the Arch-bishop had a special Care of his Education Whose Towardliness and zealous Inclination to a Reformation was attributed to the said Arch-bishop and three other Bishops viz. Ridley Hoper and Latimer by Rodulph Gualter of Zurick Who partly by his living sometime in England and partly by his long and intimate Familiarity and Correspondence with many of the best Note here was well acquainted with the Matters relating to this Kingdom Of the great Influence of one of these upon this King viz. the Arch-bishop the former Memorials do sufficiently shew CHAP. XXXIII Arch-bishop Cranmer procures the Use of the Scriptures THE Arch-bishop was a great Scripturist and in those darker Times of Popery was the chief Repairer of the Reputation of the Holy Scriptures Urging them still for the great Standard and Measure in all controverted Matters relating to Religion and the Church By these he disintangled King Henry VIII his great Matrimonial Cause when all his other Divines who had the Pope's Power and Laws too much in their Eyes were so puzzled about it Shewing how no Humane Dispensation could enervate or annul the Word of God And in the Course he took about the Reforming of Religion the Holy Scripture was the only Rule he went by casting by School-men and the Pope's Canons and Decretals and adhering only to the more sure Word of Prophecy and Divine Inspiration And so Roger Ascham in a Letter to Sturmius in the Year 1550 when they were very busy in the Reformation writes Thaâ—â—uch was the Care of their Iosiah meaning King Edward the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and the whole Privy-Council for true Religion that they laboured in nothing more than that as well the Doctrine as Discipline of Religion might be most purely drawn out of the Fountain of the Sacred Scriptures and that that Roman Sink whence so many Humane Corruptions abounded in the Church of Christ might be wholly stopped up This his high Value of the Scriptures made him at last the happy Instrument of restoring them to the Common People by getting them after divers Years opposition printed in the English Tongue and set up in Churches for any to read that would for
a firm Purpose to conform himself thereunto and so continue to proceed from time to time shewing himself a sober and fruitful Hearer and Learner This whole Preface for the Antiquity and Usefulness of it and to preserve as much as we can of the Writings of this most Reverend Man I have transcribed and placed in the Appendix The Edition in the Year 1540 had a remarkable Frontispiece before it Which because it is somewhat rare both in regard of the Antiquity and Device of it I will relate In the upper â—art thereof you see King Henry VIII sitting in State guarded on each hand of him with the Lords Spiritual and Temporal holding in his right Hand a Bible closed which he delivered unto Arch-bishop Cranmer being on his Knee in the Name of the rest of the Bishops all which stood at his right Hand bare-headed their Mitres lying up-the Ground in token of their Acknowledgment of the King's Supremacy and this Motto issuing out of the King's Mouth Haec praecipe doce Holding also in his left Hand another Bible stretched towards the Lords Temporal and delivered to one whom I suppose to be intended for the Lord Crumwel at the head of them standing on the left Side and this Word coming out of the King's Mouth towards them Quod justum est judicate and this Ita parvum audietis ut magnum and this A me constitutum est decretum ut in Vniverso Imperio Regno meo homines revereantur paveant Deum Viventem Among these Nobles is the Figure of one on his Knees and these Words issuing out of his Mouth Verbum tuum Lucerna pedibus meis Over the King's Head is the Figure of God Almighty sitting in the Clouds with these Words coming out of his Mouth in a Scrole towards the right Hand Verbum quod egredietur de me non revertetur ad me vacuum sed faciet quaecunque volui And in another Scrole towards the Left with his Hand pointing to the King Ecce servum qui faciet omnes voluntates meas Underneath the Bishops there is another Figure representing Arch-bishop Cranmer his Coat of Arms by him with the distinction of a Crescent He stood with his Mitre on his Head and dress'd in his Pontificalibus his Chaplain behind him and a Priest with a Tonsure kneeling before him in the posture of a Candidate for Priests Orders and having his Hand stretched out to receive the Bible offered him by the Arch-bishop and out of his Mouth this Scrole Pascite qui in vobis est gregem Christi On the other Side opposite to the Arch-bishop and underneath the Lords Temporal stood another Person whom I conjecture to be the Lord Crumwel with his Shield by him blank without any bearing and out of his Mouth came Diverte a malo sequere pacem persequere In the lowest part of this Fronticepiece you have the resemblance of a Priest preaching out of a Pulpit before a great Auditory of Persons of all Ranks Qualities Orders Sexes Ages Men Women Children Nobles Priests Souldiers Tradesmen Countrymen Out of the Mouth of the Preacher went this Verse Obsecro igitur primum omnium fieri obsecrationes orationes postulationes gratiarum actiones pro omnibus hominibus pro regibus c. Implying the Benefit accruing to Princes by the Peoples Knowledg of the Scriptures namely That it taught them to obey and pray for them And out of the Mouths of these Hearers of all sorts issued Vivat Rex Vivat Rex and out of the Mouths of the Children God save the King denoting the great Joy the People conceived for the enjoyment of God's Word and the preaching thereof and their Thankfulness to the King for his Permission of the same In the middle stood the Title of the Bible which was this The Bible in English that is to say The Contents of all the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament with a Prologue thereunto made by the Reverend Father in God Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury This is the Bible appointed to the Use of the Churches Printed by Richard Grafton Cum Privilegio ad imprimendum solum An. Dom. MDXL. CHAP. XXXIV Arch-bishop Cranmer compassionate towards Sufferers for Religion AS he had a great Love and Value for the eminent Professors and Patrons of the Gospel so he bare a most compassionate Spirit towards those that suffered for the sake of it It made a very greaâ— Impression upon him when he heard that Sir Iohn Cheke had been taken up and Indicted soon after Queen Mary's access to the Crown namely in the Month of August which was the next Month after And not knowing wherefore he was Indicted whether for his meddling in the Lady Iane's Business or for his Zeal in promoting Religion he earnestly desired Sir William Cecyl to inform him whether If for the former Considering as he said he had been none of the chief Doers in that Matter he hoped he should have been one of them that should have partaken of the Queen's Favour But if it were for the latter viz. his earnestness in Religion if he suffer for that said he Blessed is he of God that suffereth for his sake howsoever the World judg of him For what ought we to care for the Iudgment of the World when God absolves us But wishing most passionately withal That some means might be used for the Relief of him and the Lord Russel who it seems was clap'd up for the same Cause And indeed as our Arch-bishop was in the time of King Edward he was the same under King Henry that is the common Patron as far as he might or dared of such Priests who were drawn into Trouble for professing or preaching that Gospel So he shewed himself to Turner before-mentioned And in the Year 1533 or 1534 I find him in a Commission for the relieving of another that had been most straitly and rigorously handled by Stokesly then Bishop of London and his Chancellor His Name was Thomas Patmore Parson of Hadham in Hertfordshire a Learned and Godly Man who had by them been condemned to Imprisonment for Life together with the loss of his Benefice and Goods because he had perswaded his Curat to marry a Wife and being privy to his Marriage did nevertheless suffer him to officiate in his Church And because he had preached certain Doctrines at Cambridg as laying little stress upon the Pope's Curse and that we are saved only by God's Mercy and that all that are saved are saved by Faith and that it is against God's Law to burn Hereticks This poor Man after three Years close Imprisonment in Lollards-Tower by the Means of his Friends who put up frequent Petitions to the King and the Lady Ann Bolen was at last released and obtained of the King a Commission to our Arch-bishop to whom were joined Audley Lord Chancellor and Crumwel Secretary of State to enquire into his Injuries and unjust handling and to determine
cease from keeping of theym For the Kings own House shal be an example unto al the realm to break his own ordinances Over this whereas your Lp. hath twice written for this poor man William Gronnow the bearer hereof to my L. Deputy of Callis for him to be restored to his room as far as I understand it prevayled nothing at al. For so he can get none answer of my L. Deputy So tha◠the poor man dispaireth that your request shal do him any good If your Lp. would be so good to him as to obtain a bil signed by the Kings Grace to the Treasurers and Controlers of Callis for the time being commanding theym to pay to the said W. Gronnow his accustomed Wages yearly and to none other your Lp. should not only not further trouble my L. Deputy any more but also do a right meritorious deed For if the poor man be put thus from his Living he were but utterly undone Thus my Lord right hartily fare you wel At Ford the xxviij day of August Your Lordships own ever T. Cantuariens NUM XX. Richard Grafton the Printer of the Bible to the Lord Crumwel complaining of some that intended to print the Bible and thereby to spoyl his Impression ✚ 1537. MOST humbly beseeching your Lp. to understand that according as your Commission was by my servant to send you certain Bibles so have I now done desiring your Lp. to accept them as though they were wel done And whereas I writ unto your Lp. for a privy Seal to be a defence unto the enemies of this Bible I understand that your Lps. mind is that I shal not need it But now most gracious Lord forasmuch as this work hath been brought forth to our most great and costly labors and charges Which charges amount above the sum of five hundred pounds and I have caused of these same to be printed to the sum of fifteen hundred books complete Which now by reason that of many this work is highly commended there are that wil and doth go about the printing of the same work again in a lesser letter to the intente that they may sel their little books better cheap then I can sel these great and so to make that I shal sel none at al or else very few to the utter undoing of me your Orator and of all those my Creditors that hath been my Comforters and helpers therin And now this work thus set forth with great study and labors shal such persons moved with a little covetousnes to the undoing of others for their own private wealth take as a thing done to their hands In which half the charges shal not come to them that hath done to your poor Orator And yet shall not they do it as they find it but falsify the text that I dare say look how many sentences are in the Bible even so many faults and errors shal be made therin For their seeking is not to set it out to Gods glory and to the edifying of Christs Congregation but for covetousnes And that may appear by the former Bibles that they have set forth which hath neither good paper letters ink nor correction And even so shal they corrupt this work and wrap it up after their fashions and then may they sel it for nought at their pleasures Yea and to make it more truer then it is therfore Dutch men living within this realm go about the printing of it Which can neither speak good English nor yet write none And they wil be both the Printers and Correctors therof Because of a little covetousnes they wil not bestow twenty or forty pounds to a Learned man to take pains in it to have it wel done It were therfore as your Lp. doth evidently perceive a thing unreasonable to permit or suffer them which now hath no such busines to enter into the labors of them that hath made both sore trouble and unreasonable charges And the truth is this that if it be printed by any other before these be sold which I think shal not be these three years at the least that then am I your poor Orator undone Therfore by your most godly favor if I may obtain the Kings most gracious privilege that none shal print them till these be sold which at the least shall not be this three years your Lordship shal not find me unthankful but that to the uttermost of my power I wil consider it And I dare say that so wil my L of Canterbury with other my most special friends And at the last God wil look upon your merciful heart that considereth the undoing of a poor young man For truly my whole Living lyeth hereupon Which if I may have sale of them not being hindred by any other men it shal be my making and wealth and the contrary is my undoing Therfore most humbly I beseech your Lp. to be my helper here that I may obtain this my request Or else if by no means this privilege may be had as I have no doubt through your help it shal and seeing men are so desirous to be printing of it again to my utter undoing as aforesaid that yet forasmuch as it hath pleased the Kings Highnes to Licence this work to go abroad and that it is the most pure religion that teacheth al true obedience and reproveth al schisms and contentions and the lack of this word of Almighty God is the cause of al blindnes and superstition It may therfore be commanded by your Lp. in the name of our most gracious Prince that every Curate have one of them that they may learn to know God and to instruct their Parishens Yea and that every Abby should have six to be layd in six several places and that the whole Covent and the resorters therunto may have occasion to look on the Lords Law Yea I would have none other but they of the Papistical sort should be compelled to have them And then I know there should be ynow found in my L. of Londons Diocess to spend away a great part of them And so should this be a godly act worthy to be had in remembrance while the world doth stand And I know that a smal Commission wil cause my Lords of Cant. Salisbury and Worseter to cause it to be done through their Diocesses Yea and this should cease the whole schism and contention that is in the realm Which is some calling them of the Old and some of the New Now should we al follow one God one Book and one Learning And this is hurtful to no man but profitable to all men I wil trouble your Lp. no lenger for I am sorry I have troubled you so much But to make an end I desire your most gracious answer by my servant For the sickness is bryme about us or would I wait upon your Lp. And because of coming to your Lp. I have not suffered my servant with me since he came over Thus for your continual preservation I with
his own making and by them promised remission of sins and salvation that he might be set up and honored for a Savior equal to Christ. And so to be esteemed above al creatures and to set in the Temple of God that is in the Church of Christ as he were God And to bring this to pas he hath horribly abused holy Scriptures altering them to his purpose in the sted of Christs most holy bloud putting in his holy Water As it appeareth evidently in this Sentence of S. Paul written in the ninth Chap. of the Hebrewes If the bloud of Oxen and Goats saith S. Paul and the ashes of a yong Cow purified the unclean as touching the purifying of the flesh how much more the bloud of Christ which through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot unto God shal purge your consciences from dead works for to serve the Living God And for this cause he is the Mediator of the New covenant Consider wel this sentence of Paul and you shal find two purifyings one of the body and another of the Soul or Conscience You shal find also two Mediators One was the Priest of Moses law and the other is Christ. The Priests of the old Law with the bloud of Oxen and Goats and other their Sacrifices purged only the bodies of them that were defiled but the Soul or Conscience they could not help But our Savior Christ by his own bloud purged both body anâ— soul. And for that cause he and none other is the Mediator of the New Covenant But the Bp. of Rome to make himself also a Mediator with Christ hath taken upon him to purify the soul and conscience with holy water holy salt and other his holy creatures of his own devising to the intolerable injury of Christs blood which only hâ—th the effect And to bring this to pass hee hath most shamefully changed the words of the Scripture and wrested them to his purpose Some words putting out and only in the sted of Christs bloud putting in his own holy water and salt For wheras S. Paul if the blood of Oxen and Goats and the ashes of a Cow purified the unclean as touching the purifying of the flesh here the Bp. of Rome leaveth out these words As touching the purifying of the flesh And where S. Paul extolling the effect of Christs bloud in comparison of the bloud of Oxen and Goats saith How much more the bloud of Christ which through the eternal spirit offered himself being without spot unto God shal purge your consciences Here the Bp. of Rome extolling his water and salt puts out Christs bloud and in the place thereof puts his holy water and salt saying How much more water which is sprinkled with salt and hallowed with godly prayers shal sanctify and purify the people Oh! intolerable blasphemy against the most precious bloud of Christ Oh! shameles audacity and boldnes so to corrupt and pervert Gods holy word If he by his holy water presume to purify our souls as Christ did by his bloud what is that else but to make himself equal and another Mediator with Christ And what is it to Tread under foot the Son of God and to make the bloud of the N. Testament wherby he was Sanctified like other common things and to dishonor the spirit of grace if this be not And yet not contented with this blaspheming the bloud of Christ he preferreth his holy creatures far above the bloud of Christ promising by them many benefits which by the bloud of Christ be not promised For in the same place he promiseth by his holy ceremonies to take away from us dearth and scarcity of al worldly things and to multiply and encrease us with the same Also to defend us from the assaults of the Devil and al his deceits and to give us health both of body and soul. But al men se him so shamefully to ly in these worldly things that no man that wise is wil trust him in the rest Nor no man that is godly wil desire such things to remain stil which so much have deceived simple people and dishonored God and been contumelious to the bloud of Christ. But now to your Images which you say you wil have set up again in every Church What moved you to require this Article but only Ignorance For if you had known the Laws of God and the use of godly religion as wel before the Incarnation of Christ as four or five hundred years next after and by whom Images were at first brought into Christs church and how much Idolatry was every where committed by the means of the same it could not have been that ever you would have desired this Article except you had more affection to Idolatry then to true religion For Almighty God among the ten Commandments rehearsed this for the Second as one of the chief Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image nor the likenes of any thing that is in heaven above or in the earth beneath nor in the water under the earth Thou shalt not bow to them nor worship them This Commandment was diligently kept in the old Testament so long as the people pleased God For in their Tabernacle was not one image less nor more that the people might se. Although upon the Propitiatory were two Cherubins of gold by the Commandment of God And that was in such a place as the people never came near nor saw But when the people forgetting this Commandment began to make images and to set them up in the place of Adoration by and by they provoked Gods indignation against them and were grievously punished therfore The Church of Christ likewise in the N. Testament for the space of four or five hundred years after Christ's Ascension utterly refused to have Images in the Church a place of Adoration As it may plainly appear by al the old antient Authors that lived and wrot in that time In so much that above four hundred years after Christ when some Superstitious and ignorant people in some places began to bring painted images not into the Church but to the Church doores the great Clerk Epiphanius Bp. of Cyprus finding such a painted Image of Christ or some other Saint hanging at the Church door in a Town called Anablatha he cutt it in pieces saying that it was against the authority of scripture that in the Church of Christ should hang the Image of a man And the same Epiphanius wrot unto the Bp. of Ierusalem that he should command the Priests that in no wise they shou'd suffer such Images to be hanged in the church of Christ which were contrary to our religion But peradventure you wil mervail and ask me the question how it was brought to pas that of late years al Churches were so ful of Images and so much offering and pilgrimages done unto them if it were against the Commandment of God against the usage of al godly people in the O. Testament and also against the custom
of Christs church in the N. Testament so long as it was pure and holy and kept from Idolatry Who was able to bring this to effect contrary both to Gods expres Commandment and the custom of al godly people from the beginning of the world until four or five hundred years after Christ No man surely could have wrought this thing so much contrary to God but Antichrist himself that is to say the Bp. of Rome To whom God hath given great power to work wonders to bring into error those that wil not believe the truth But by what means did he compas this matter By such means as were most meet for himself and as he hath commonly practised in al other matters that is to say by Sedition and Murder by Confederacies and Persecutions by raising the Sons against their Fathers the childre against their mother and the Subjects against their Ruâ—ers by deposing of Emperors and Princes and murdering of learned men Saints and Martyrs For thus he wrought against the Emperor of the East parties from Gregory II. his time until Gregory III. who at length after this condition had endured above five hundred years in a Councel held at Lions by feigned promises persuaded the Emperor of the East to condescend to his purpose as wel to receive Images into the churches as to other his requests But nevertheles the Bp. of Rome failed of his purpose For yet to this day the Christen men in the East do not allow images to stand in their churches neither the Greeks nor the Armenians nor the Indians nor none other christen men And that more is Search al the world through out of what religion soever they be whether they be Iews Turks Saracens Tartaries or Christen people and you shal not find an image in none of their churches but that was brought in by the Bp. of Rome and where the Bp. of Rome is or with in these forty years was taken for the head of the Church and Christ's Vicar in earth And at the beginning the Bps. of Rome to cloak their Idolatry pretended to have Images set up only for a remembrance to Lay men and to be as it were Lay mens books But after they defined plainly that these should be worshipped And so it encreased at length that Images were kneeled unto offered unto prayed unto sought unto Incensed and Pilgrimages done unto them and al maner of superstition and idolatry that could be devised Almighty God knoweth our corrupt nature better then we do our selves He knoweth wel the inclinations of Man how much he is given to worship creatures and the work of his own hands and especially fond Women which commonly follow superstition rather then true religion And therfore he utterly forbad the people the use of graven images especially in places dedicated to the honor of God knowing assuredly that of the having would follow the worshipping them Now thanks be to God in this Realm we be clearly delivered from that kind of idolatry which most highly offended God and we do according to the Councel Elebertyne which ordained that no Images should be in Churches And this is so antient that it was about the same year that Nicene Councel was What should â—hen move you to ask again your Images in the Church being not only against Gods commandments and the use of Gods Church evermore since the beginning of the world when it was pure from idoâ—atry but also being chargeable to the realm and great occasion of hainous idolatry But that some Papistical and covetous priests have persuaded you hereto Which care neither for Gods honor nor your damnation so that they may have any commodity or profit therby I have been very long in this Article and yet the matter is so large that it requireth much more to be spoken therin which for shortnes of time I am constrained to leave until a more occasion and so come to your eigth Article VIII Your Eighth Article is this WE wil not receive the new Service because it is but like a Christmas game but we wil have our old Service of Mattins Mass Evensong and Procession in Latine as it was before And so ne the Cornish men whâ—rof certain of us understand no English utterly refuse this new English As concerning the having of the Service in the Latine tongue is sufficiently spoken of in the answer to the third Article But I would gladly know the reason why the Cornish men refuse utterly the New English as you cal it because certain of you understand it not and yet you wil have the Service in Latin which almost none of you understand If this be a sufficient cause for Cornwal to refuse the English Service because some of you understand none English a much greaâ—er cause have they both of Cornwal and Devonshire to refuse utterly the late Service for as much as fewer of them know the Latine tongue then they of Cornwal the English tongue But where you say that you wil have the old Service because the new is like a Christmas game you declare your selves what spirit you be â—ed withal or rather what spirit leadeth them that persuaded you that the Word of God is but like a Christmas game It is more like a game and a fond play to be laughed at of al men to hear the Priest speak aloud to the people in Latine and the people listen with their ears to hear and some walking up and down in the Church some saying other prayers in Latin and none understandeth other Neither the Priest nor his parish wot what they say And many times the thing that the Priest saith in Latine is so fond of it self that it is more like a play then a godly prayer But in the English Service appointed to be read there is nothing else but the eternal word of God The New and the Old Testament is read that hath power to save your Souls Which as S. Paul saith is the power of God to the Salvation of all that believe The clear light to our eyes without the which we cannot see and a Lanthorn unto our feet without which we should tumble in darknes It is in it self the Wisdome of God and yet to the Jews it is a stumbâ—ing block and to the Gentiles it is but foolishnes But to such as be called of God whether they be Iewes or Gentiles it is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God Then unto you if it be but foolishness and a Christmas Game you may discern your selves what miserable state you be in and how far you be from God For S. Paul saith plainly that the Word of God is foolishnes only to them that perish but to them that shal be saved it is Gods might and power To some it is a lively savor unto life and to some it is a deadly savor unto death If iâ— be to you but a Christmas game it is then a Savor of death unto death And surely persuade your selves that you be
our greatest cros may be to be absent from him and strangers from our home and that we may godly contend more and more to please him Amen c. As for your parts in that it is commonly thought your staff standeth next the door â—ee have the more cause to rejoyce and be glad as they which shal come to their fellowes under the Altar To the which Society God with you bring me also in his mercy when it shall be his good plesure I have received many good things from you my good Lord Master and dear Father N. Ridley Fruits I mean of your good labours Al which I send unto you again by this bringer Augustin Benher one thing except which he can tell I do keep upon your further plesure to be known therin And herewithal I send unto you a little treatise which I have made that you might peruse the same and not only you but also ye my other most dear and reverend Fathers in the Lord for ever to give your Approbation as ye may think good Al the prisoners here about in maner have seen it and read it and as therin they aggre with me nay rather with the truth so they are ready and wil be to signify it as they shal se you give them example The matter may be thought not so necessary as I seem to make it But yet if ye knew the great evil that is like hereafter to come to the posterity by these men as partly this bringer can signify unto you Surely then could ye not but be most willing to put hereto your helping hands The which thing that I might the more occasion you to perceive I have sent you here a writing of Harry Harts own hand Wherby ye may see how Christs glory and grace is like to loose much light if your sheep quondam be not something holpen by them that love God and are able to prove that al good is to be attributed only and wholly to Gods grace and mercy in Christ without other respects of worthines then Christs merits The effects of salvation they so mingle and confound with the cause that if it be not seen to more hurt will come by them than ever came by the Papists in as much as their life commendeth them to the world more then the Papists God is my witnes that I write not this but because I would Gods glory and the good of his peopâ—e In Free wil they are plain Papists yea Pelagians And ye know that Modicum fermenti totam Massam corrumpit They utterly contemn al learning But hereof shal this bringer show you more As to the chief captains therefore of Christs church here I complain of it unto you as truly I must do of you even unto God in the last day if ye wil not as ye can help something Vt veritas doctrinae maneat apud posteros in this behalf as ye have done on the behalf of matters expugned by the Papists God for his mercy in Christ guide you Most dearly beloved Fathers with his holy Spirit here and in al other things as most may make to his glory and the commodity of the Church Amen Al here God therfore be praised prepare themselves willingly to pledg our Captain Christ even when he wil and how he wil. By your good prayers we shal al fare the better and therefore we al pray you to cry to God for us as we God willing do and wil remember you My brethren here with me have thought it their duty to signify this need to be no less then I make it to prevent the plantations which may take root by these men Yours in the Lord Robert Ferrar Rowland Taylor Iohn Bradford Iohn Philpot. NUM LXXXIV The Prisoners for the Gospel their Declaration concerning K. Edward his Reformation To the King and Queens most excellent Majesties with their most honorable high court of Parlament WE poor Prisoners for Christs religion require your Honours in our dear Saviour Christs name earnestly now to repent for that you have consented of late to the unplaceing of so many godly lawes set furth touching the true religion of Christ before by two most Noble Kings being Father and brother to the Queens Highnes and aggreed upon by al your consents not without your great and many deliberations free and open disputations costs and paines taking in that behalf neither without great Consultations and conclusions had by the greatest learned men in the realm at Windsor Cambridg and Oxford neither without the most willing consent and allowing of the same by the whole Realm throughly So that there was not one Parish in al England that ever desired again to have the Romish Superstitions and vaine Service which is now by the Popish proud covetous clergy placed again in contempt not only of God al Heaven and al the holy ghostes lessons in the blessed Bible but also against the honors of the said two most noble Kings against your own Country fore aggreements and against al the godly consciences within this realm of England and elsewhere By reason wherof Gods great plagues must needs follow and great unquietnes of consciences besides al other persecutions and vexations of bodies and goods must needs ensue Moreover we certify your honours that since your said unplaceing of Christs true religion and true service and placing in the room therof Antichristâ— Romish Superstition heresy and idolatry al the true preachers have been removed and punished and that with such open robbery and cruelty as in Turky was never used either to their own Countrimen or to their mortal enemies This therfore our humble suit is now to your honourable estates to desire the same for al the mercies sake of our dear and only Savior Iesus Christ and for the duty you owe to your native Country and to your own souls earnestly to consider from what light to what darknes this realm is now brought and that in the weightiest chief and principal matter of Salvation of al our souls and bodies everlasting and for ever more And even so we desire you at this your assembly to seek some effectual reformation for the afore written most horrible deformation in this church of England And touching your selves we desire you in like maner that we may be called before your Honors and if we be not able both to prove and approve by the Catholic and Canonical rules of Christs true religion the church Homilies and Service set furth in the most innocent K. Edwards days and also to disallow and reprove by the same authorities the Service now set furth since his departing then we offer our bodies either to be immediately burned or else to suffer whatsoever other painful and shameful death that it shal please the King and Queens Majesties to appoint And we think this trial and probation may be now best either in the plain English tongue by Writing or otherwise by disputation in the same tongue Our Lord for his great mercy sake
And Smith The Duke of Somerset's Death Inter Foxii MSS. Winchester suppos'd to be in the Plot. Articles against the Duke What he is blamed for The new Book of Common-Prayer established Troubles at Frankford Coverdale made Bp of Exon. Scory Bp Elect of Rochester The ABp appoints a Guardian of the Spiritualties of Lincoln Cranm. Reg And of Wigorn. Cranm. Regist. And of Chichester And of Hereford And of Bangor Hoper visits his Diocess No. LXIII Two Disputations concerning the Sacrament Miscellan C. Dr. Redman dies Bâ—con's Reports Fox's Acts. The ABp and others appointed to Reform the Ecclesiastical Laws The Method they observed Scory Cranm. Regist Coverdalâ— An. 1552. The Articles of Religion framed and published Fox The ABp's diligence in them Council-Book No. LXIV The ABp retires to Ford. Consulted with for fit Persons to fill the Irish Seeâ— * I suppose this might be a slip of the ABp's Pen or Memory writing Whitacre for Goodacre who afterwards was placed in that Irish See and haâ— been Poynet 's Chaplain Some Account of the four Divines nominated by him for the Archbishoprick of Armagh Mr. Wâ—ithead Mr. Turner Bale's Cent. Thomas Rosse or Rose Robert Wisdome * The Iewel of Ioy. †They were both forced to recant openly at St. Pauls Cross in the Year 1544 together with one Shingleton And herâ—upon I suppose they conveyed themselves into the North parts for Security The Character the ABp gave of the two former Turner designed for Armagh But declines it Hist. Ref. Vol. 1. p. 205. N. LXV LXVI Goodacre made ABpof Armagh Vocation of Iohn Bale Beatae memoriae in Hibernià concionatorem vigilantissimum ac Theologica eloquentia non immerito commendatum Balaei Centur. Letters from the Council to Ireland recommending the Irish Bishops Council-Book A Rumour gigen out of the ABp's Covetousness and Wealth Which Cecyl sends him word of The ABp's Answer for himself and the other Bishops †He probably was Holgate ABp of York No. LXVII This very Slander raised upon him to K. Henry Fox K. Henry promised him Lands This promise performed by King Edward His Purchases No. LXVIII The Arch-bishoprick fleeced by K. Henry Lands past away to the Crown by Exchange Villarâ— Cantian Lands made over to the Arch-bishop The Arch-bishop parted also with Knoll and Otford to the King MSS. C.C.C.C What moved him to make these Exchanges His Cares and Fears for the King His care for filling the Vacancies of the Church Labored under an Ague this Autumn The great Mortality of Agues about this Time Stow's Chron. That which most concerned him in his Sickness The Secretary sends the Arch-bishop the Copy of the Emperor's Pacification Vid. Slâ—id Lib. 24. His Kindness for Germany His Correspondence with Germany And with Herman Arch-bishop of Colen The Sutableness of both these Arch-bishops Dispositions Their diligence in Reforming Mel. Epist. Printed at Leyden 1647. Pag. 34. Nec aliam video nisi hanc unam ut retineant Episcopi Collegia sâ—a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suas opes recipiant doctrinam piam Ubi supra The Troubles of Bp Tonstol MS. of an old Council-Book The Cause of this Bp's Punishment A Bill in Parliament to attaint Tonstal The Care of the Diocess committed to the Dean The new Common-Prayer began to be used Stow's Chron. This Book put into French for the King's French Subjects The Age still vicious Iewâ—l of Ioy. A new Sect in Kent Council-Book The ABp's Business in Kent A Letter for Installing Bishop Hoper Council-Book The Vicar of Beden Council-Book Sampson and Knox. The Council favour Knox. Collect. Vol. 2. p. 42. Council-Book Iohn Taylor An. 1553. Great use made of the ABp at Council The Articles of Religion enjoined by the King's Authority Cran. Regist. An. 1553. The Catechism for Schools A Catechism set forth by the Synod Fox The ABp opposeth the new Settlement of the Crown Denieth before the Council to subscribe to the Exclusion of the Lady Mary Foxii MSS. Sets his Hand The ABp ingratefully dealt with The Council subscribe and swear to the limited Succession Vol. II. p. 223. No. LXVIII The King dies Cooper's Chron. His Character Nic. Vdal his Pres. to Erasm. Paraphrase The ABp delights in this Prince's Proficiency K. Edward's Writings Fox Fox Mr. Petyt's MSS. Sir W. H. MSS. Sir W. H. MSS. Sir W. H. MSS. Sir W. H. MSS. Full. Ch. Hist. Full. Ch. Hist. Ibid. Mr. Petyt's MSS. Cotton Libr. and Hist. Ref. Trinity-Col Libr. Cott. Librar Cott. Libr. Sir W. H. MSS. Sir W. H. MSS. Sir W. H. MSS. Sir W. H. MSS. Fox The King 's Memorial for Religion The Ab◠〈◊〉 at Council His Presence in Council in the Year 1550. In the Year 1551. In the Year 1552. An. 1553. Iohn Harley The ABp's and Counsellors concern with the Lady Iane. No. LXIX No. LXX They declare for Q. Mary No. LXXI And write to Northumberland to lay down his Arms. Stow. The Queen owned by the Ambassadors The ABp misreported to have said Mass. Mass at Canterbury Which he makes a publick Declaration against Foxii MSS. The Declaration Appears before the Commissioners at Pauls And before the Council The ABp of York committed to the Tower and his Goods seized C.C.C.C. Librar Miscell Bâ— At Battersea At Cawood Gardiner's Passage of the two ABps This Reign begins with Rigour Halts Oration The Protestant Bishops deprived Registr Eccl. Cant. The hard Usage of the inferior Clergy * Mr. Rich. Wilks ‖ Dr. Parker †Mr. Bradford Bullingham and May. ‖ A great Number * Dr. Ponet Taylâ—r Parker Preface to the Defence of Priests Marriage * Mr. Aylmer Harbour for Faithful Subjects Professors cast into the Marshalsea Winchester's Alms. Pet. Martyr writes of this to Calvin P. Martyr's Epist. The State of the Church now P. Martyr Amico cuidam The Queen leaves all Matters to Winchester I. Rogers The Queen crowned The Service still said The Queen's Proclamation of her Religion Signs of a Change of Religion The ABp adviseth to flight No. LXXII Cranmer will not flee Whither the Prosessors fly And who ‖ Chiliades Pref. to Cranmer's Book of the Sacrament in Latin Duke of Northumberland put to death His Speech No. LXXIII Sir Iohn Gates his Speech And Palmer's The Duke's labours to get hiâ— Life Wardword p. 43. Whether he was always â— Papist P. Martyr departs Vit. P. Mart. per Simler Malice towards him A Scandal of the Queen Titus B. 2. A Parliament Hales Oration The Parliament repeal Q. Katherine's Divorce and Cranmer taxed for it Hist. Reform Vol. 2. p. 254. The ABp attainted of Treason The Dean of Canterbury acts in the Vacancy Ex Reg. Eccl. Cant. The ABp sues for Pardon of Treason No. LXXIV Obtains it He desires to open his Mind to the Queen concerning Religion A Convocation How it opened The ABp and three more crowded together in the Tower The Queen sends to Pole The Contents of her Letters Concerning theSupremacy Concerning the new Bishops Pole's Advice to the Queen