brother on the 9th and 10th she removes her Court unto Whitehall and there continâ—es till it was within two or three dayes of her Coronation Which time now drawing neer at hand she passed by water to the Tower on the 27th of September accompanied by her Sister the Princesse Elizabeth and a great train of Noble Ladies made her return through the principal streets of the City on the last of the same month in most â—tately manner and the next day proceeded with the like magnificence to the Abby Church where she was met by three â—â—lver Crosses and eighty singing men all in riâ—h and gorgeoâ—s Coaps so sudden a recruit was made of these sacâ—ed Vestments amongst whom went the new Dean of Westminster Dr. Westoâ— and divers Chaplains of her own each of them â—earing in their hands some Ensign or other After them marched ten Bishops which were as many as remained of her perswasion with their Miâ—ers rich Coaps and Crosier staves The Sermon was preached by Dr â—ay whom she had restored to the See of Chichester and the solemnity of the Coronation celebrated by the new Lord Chancellor Craâ—ner Archbishop of Canterbury being then commited and otherwise conceived unworthy of so great an honour Till this time none more dear to her then her Sister Elizabeth whom she alwayes took with her by the hand wheresoever she went and seldome dined or supped without her But this solemnity being passed over as if she were now freed from all the feaâ—s of a competition she estranged her self from her in such a manner as shewed that she had formerly desited her company for some by-respects and not out of natural affection More gratefâ—l unto other persons who deserved well of her she preferred Henry Ratcliff Earle of Sâ—ssex Commander Generall of her Army to the Society of the Gatter which Honour she conferred on his son Thomas after his decease and to be covered in her Presence at all times and places tending to the custome of the Grandees in the Realm of Spain Which priviledge not being very frequent in the Politâ—ie of the Realm of England I find to be recorded in these following words viz. Mary by the Grace of God Queen of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and of the Church of England and Ireland in earth the Supream Head o all to whom this present writing shall come sendeth Greeting in our Lord everlasting Know ye that We do give and pardon to Our wel-beloved and trusty Cosen and one of Our Privy Council Henry Earl of Sussex and Viscount Fittzwater Lord Egremond and Burnel Liberty Licence and Pardon to wear his Cap Coyfe or Night-cap or two of them at his pleasure as well in Our presence as in the presence of any other person or persons within this Our Realm or any other place of Our Dominions whatsoever during his life and these Our Letters shall be his sufficient Warrant in this behalf Given under Our Sign Manuall at Our Pallace of Westminster 2. Octob. 1 Regni With the like Royal gratitute she advance the Earl of Arundel who had deserved as well of her in the Council as the Earl of Sussex in the Camp to the Place or Office of Lord Steward investing him with all those powers and priviledges which had been formâ—rly exercised by the Lord Great Master whom he succeeded in Authority though not in Title Sir Edward Hastings who came over to her with 4000 men she first made Master of the Horse and Knight of the Garâ—er and afterwards Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold and Lord Hastings of Louthborough Sir John Williams who had done her very good service in Buckingham and Oxfordâ—hires â—hires she honoured with the Title of Lord Williams of Jaâ—e of which more hereafter Sir Hâ—nry Jerninâ—ham who first appeared in Norfoâ—k for her she preferred to be Captain of her Guard aâ—soon as she came unto the Crown and toward the latter end of her Reign Sir Thomas Threâ—â—â—m was created Lord Prior of the Order of St Johns of Jerusalem and consequently according to the old pretension the first Baron of England And as for her domestique servants who had suffered with her she thought it no unfit decorum that they should in part Reign with her also To which end she preferred Hopâ—on her old Chaplain to the See of Norwich Râ—chester to be Compâ—roller of her Houshold Ingâ—â—field toâ— be Master of the Wards and Wâ—lgrave to be Master of the Wardrobe which is sufficiâ—nt â—o deâ—lâ—re that she was willing to comply with all obligarionâ— and not to bâ— too long in debt to her greatest subjects but much lesse to her mâ—nial servants But in â—â—gard that all these were considered for their perâ—onal merits not in reference only to their zeal for the Catholick Cause she was to shew some act of favour unto those of thaâ— party which might create a confidence in them of her good affections To which end she made choice of Sir John Gage a man most zealously addicted to the Church of Rome to be Lord Chamberlain of â—â—r Houshold when she came first to the Tower to the great satisfaction of all those of that Religion And that she might in some meaâ—ure also obâ—â—ge the rest of her suâ—jects and make the entâ—ance of her Reign the more pleaâ—â—ng to them her Coronation was accompanied with a general pardon at the least in shew Out of which all prisoners in the Tower such as remained in the Fleet together with sixty other being excepted and the reâ—trictions and proviso's with which it was in all parts clogged being well observed there were not many especially of those whom it most concerned that could create unto themselves any benefit by it Thus was the Civil State established on a right foundation and the succession setled most agreeably to the Laws of Nature according to the last Will and Testament of King Heâ—ry the 8th and the Laws made in that behalfe But we shall see the pillars of the Church removed the very foundation of it shaken and the whole â—abrick of Religion so demolished that scarce one stone thereof did seem to stand upon the other without regâ—rd unto the Laws and contrary to the will and purpose of King Edwâ—â—d the 6th At the Queens first entrance into London on the thiâ—d of August she discâ—arged Gardinâ—r of the Tower as she did Bâ—â—ner of the Marshelsey and Bishop Tâ—â—stall from the Kings Bench within two dayes after To make way to whose restitution to their former Sees Bishop Ridley is removed from London Bishop Poiâ—ct from Winchester and an Act of Parliâ—ment pâ—ocâ—red for the restoring of the Church of Durham to all its Lands Preheminences and Juriâ—dictions of which it stood divested by the lâ—te Act of Dissolution made in the last year of the King deceased By the like power was Coverdale displaced from the See of Exon Sâ—ory from that of Chichester and Hooper dispossessed of that Jurisdiction whiâ—h he held as the Commendatory of the See
grave and buried in a common dunghil About the same time also such strangers as were gathered together into the Church of John Alasco not only were necessitated to forbear their meetings but to dissolve their Congregation and to quit the Countrey Such a displeasure was conceived against them by those which governed the affairs that it was no small difficulty for them to get leave for their departure and glad they were to take the opportunity of two Danish ships and to put themselves to sea in the beginning of winter fearing more storms in England than upon the Ocean And so farwel to John Alasco It was an ill wind which brought him hit her and worse he could not have for his going back The like haste made the French Protestants also And that they might have no pretence for a long stay command was sent unto the Mayor of Rie and Dâ—ver on the 16th of September to suffer all French Protestants to cross the seas except such only whose names should be signified unto them by the French Ambassadors But notwithstanding these removes many both Dutch and French remained still in the Kingdom some of which being after found in Wiat's Army occasioned the banishing of all the rest except Denizens and Merchants only by a publick Edict At which time many of the English departed also as well Students as others to the number of 300. or thereabouts hoping to find that freedome and protection in a forein Country which was denied them in their own The principal of those which put themselves into this voluntary exile were Katherine the last wife of Charls Brandon Duke of Suffoâ—k Robert Bertye Esquire husband to the Dutchess the Bishops of Winchester and Wells Sir Richard Morison Sir Anthony Cook and Sir John Cheek Dr Cox Dr Sanays and Dr Grindall and divers others of whom we shall hear more hereafter on another occasion Of all these things they neither were not could be ignorant in the Court of Rome to which the death of Edward had been swiftly posted on the wings of fame The newes of the succession of Queen Mary staid not long behind so much more welcome to Pope Julius 3d. who then held that See because it gave him some assurance of his re-admission into the power and jurisdiction of his predecessors in the Realm of England For what less was to be expected considering that she was brought up in the Catholick Religion interessed in the respects of her mother and Cosen in the first degree unto Charles the Emperour In the pursuance of which hopes it was resolved that Cardinal Pole should be sent Legate into England who being of the Royal blood a man of eminent learning and exemplary life was looked on as the fittest instrument to reduce that Kingdome The Cardinal well knowing that he stood attainted by the Lawes of the Land and that the name of Henry was still preserved in estimation amongst the people thought it not safe to venture thither before he fully understood the state of things He therefore secretly dispatcheth Commendonius a right trusty Minister by whom he writes a private Letter to the Queen In which commending first her perseverance in Religion in the time of her troubles he exhorteth her to a continuance in it in the days of her happiness He recommended also to her the salvation of the souls of her people and the restitution of the true worship of God Commendonius having diligently inform'd himself of all particulars found means of speaking with the Queen By whom he understood not only her own good affections to the See Apostolick but that she was resolved to use her best endeavours for re-establishing the Religion of the Church of Rome in all her Kingdomes Which being made known unto the Cardinal he puts himself into the voyage The newes whereof being brought to Charls who had his own design apart from that of the Pope he signified by Dandino the Pope's Nuncio with him that an Apostolick Legate could not be sent into England as affairs then stood either with safety to himself or honour to the Church of Rome and therefore that he might do well to defer the journy till the English might be brought to a better temper But the Queen knowing nothing of this stop and being full of expectation of the Cardinals coming had called a Parliament to begin on the 10th of October In which she made it her first Act to take away all Statutes passed by the two last Kings wherein certain offences had been made High Treason and others brought within the compass of a Premunire And this she did especially for Pole's security that neither he by exercising his Authority nor the Clergy by submitting to it might be intangled in the like snares in which Cardinal Wolsie and the whole Clergy of his time had before been caught It was designed also to rescind all former Statutes which had been made by the said two Kings against the jurisdiction of the Pope the Doctrine and Religion of the Church of Rome and to reduce all matters Ecclesiastical to the same estate in which they stood in the beginning of the Reign of the King her Father But this was looked upon by others as too great an enterprise to be attempted by a woman especially in a green estate and amongst people sensible of those many benefits which they enjoyed by shaking off their former vassalage to a forein power It was advised therefore to proceed no further at the present than to repeal all Acts and Statutes which had been made in derogation to the Doctrine of the Church of Rome in the time of her brother which being passed in his minority when all affairs were carried by faction and strong hand contrary to the judgement of the best and soundest part of the Clergy and Laity might give a just pretence for their abrogation till all particulars might be considered and debated in a lawful Synod According to which temperament the point was carried and the Act pass'd no higher than for Repeaâ—ing certain Statutes of the time of King Edward by which one blow she felled down all which had been done in the Reformation in seven years before For by this Act they took away all former Statutes for Administring the Communion in both kinds for establishing the first and second Liturgie for confirming the new Ordinal or form of consecrating Archbishops and Bishops c. for abrogating certain Fasts and Feastivals which had been formerly observed for authorizing the marriage of Priests and Legitimation of their children not to say any thing of that Statute as not worth the naming for making Bishops by the King's Letters Patents and exercising their Episcopal jurisdiction in the King's name only So that upon the matter not only all things were reduced to the same estate in which they stood at Edward's coming to the Crown but all those Bishops and Priests which had maried by authority of the former Statutes were made uncanonical and consequently obnoxious to
any other shuffling till the end of the Game this very Parliament without any sensible alteration of the Members of it being continued by Protogation from Session to Session untill at last it ended by the Death of the King For a Preparatory whereunto Richard Lord Rich was made Lord Chancellour on the twenty fourth of October and Sir John Baker Chancellour of the Court of First-Fruits and Tenths was nominated Speaker for the House of Commons And that all things might be carried with as little opposition and noise as might be it was thought fit that Bishop Gardiner should be kept in Prison till the end of the Session and that Bishop Tonstal of Duâ—ham a man of a most even and moderate Spirit should be made less in Reputation by being deprived of his Place at the Council-Table And though the Parliament consisted of such Members as disagreed amongst themselves in respect of Religion yet they agreed well enough together in one Common Principle which was to serve the present Time and preserve themselves For though a great part of the Nobility and not a few of the Chief Gentry in the House of Commons were cordially affected to the Church of Rome yet were they willing to give way to all such Acts and Statutes as were made against it out of a fear of losing such Church-Lands as they were possessed of if that Religion should prevail and get up again And for the rest who either were to make or improve their Fortunes there is no question to be made but that they came resolved to further such a Reformation as should most visibly conduce to the Advancement of their several Ends. Which appears plainly by the strange mixture of the Acts and Results thereof some tending simply to God's Glory and the Good of the Church some to the present Benefit and enriching of particular Persons and some again being devised of purpose to prepare a way for exposing the Revenues of the Church unto Spoil and Rapine Not to say any thing of those Acts which were merely Civil and tended to the Profit and Emolument of the Common-Wealth Of the first Sort was The Act for repealing several Statutes concerning Treason Under which head besides those many bloody Laws which concerned the Life of the Subject in Civil Matters and had been made in the distracted Times of the late King Henry there was a Repeal also of all such Statutes as seemed to touch the Subject in Life or Liberty for matter of Conscience some whereof had been made in the Times of King Richard the Second and Henry the Fourth against such as dissenting in Opinion from the Church of Rome were then called Lollards Of which Sort also was another made in the twenty fifth of the King Deceased together with that terrible Statute of the Six Articles commonly called The whip with six strings made in the thirty first year of the said King Henry Others were of a milder Nature but such as were thought inconsistent with that Freedom of Conscience which most men coveted to enjoy that is to say The Act for Qualification of the said Six Articles 35. H. 8. cap 9. The Act inhibiting the Reading of the Old and New Testament in the English Tongue and the Printing Selling Giving or Delivering of any such other Books or Writings as are there in mentioned and condemned 34. H. 3. cap. 1. But these were also Abrogated as the others were together with all and every Act or Acts of Parliament concerning Doctrine and Matters of Religion and all and every Article Branch Sentence and Matter Pains and Forfeitures in the same contained By which Repeal all men may seem to have been put into a Liberty of Reading Scripture and being in a manner their own Expositours of entertaining what Opinions in Religion best pleased their Fancies and promulgating those Opinions which they entertained So that the English for a time enjoyed that Liberty which the Romanes are affirmed by Tacitus to have enjoyed without comptrol in the Times of Nerva that is to say A liberty of Opining whatsoever they pleased and speaking freely their Opinions wheresoever they listed Which whether it were such a great Felicity as that Authour makes it may be more then questioned Of this Sort alâ—o was the Act. entituled An Act against such as speak against the Sacrament of the Altar and for the receipt thereof in both kinds cap. 1. In the first part whereof it is Provided with great Care and Piety That Whatsoever person or persons from and after the first day of May next coming shall deprave despise or contemn the most Blessed Sacrament by any contemptuous words or by any words of depraving despising or reviling c. that then he or they shall suffer Imprisonment and make Fine and Ransome at the King's pleasure And to say Truth it was but time that some provision should be made to suppress that Irreverence and Profaness with which this Blessed Sacrament was at that time handled by too many of those who seemed most ignorantly Zealous of a Reformation For whereas the Sacrament was in those Times delivered unto each Communicant in a small round Wafer called commonly by the name of Sacramentum Altaris or The blessed Sacrament of the Altar and that such parts thereof as were reserved from time to time were hanged up over the Altar in a Pix or Box those zealous ones in hatred to the Church of Rome reproached it by the odious Names of Jack-in-a-box Round-Robin Sacrament of the Halter and other Names so unbecoming the Mouths of Christians that they were never taken up by the Turks and Infidels And though Bishop Ridley a right Learned and Religious Prelate frequently in his Sermons had rebuked the irreverent behaviour of such light and ill-disposed Persons yet neither he nor any other of the Bishops were able to Reform the Abuse the Quality and Temper of the Times considered which therefore was thought fit to be committed to the power of the Civil Magistrate the Bishop being called in to assist at the Sentence In the last branch of the Act it is First declared According to the Truth of Scripture and the Tenour of approved Antiquity That it is most agreeable both to the Institution of the said Sacrament and more conformable to the common Vse and Practice both of the Apostles and of the Primitive Church by the space of five hundred years after Christ's Ascension that the said Blessed Sacrament should rather be ministred unto all Christian people under both the Kinds of Bread and Wine then under the form of Bread onely And thereupon it was Enacted That The said most Blessed Sacrament should be hereafter commonly delivered and ministred unto the People within the Church of England and Ireland and other the King's Dominions under both the Kinds that is to say of Bread and Wine With these Provisoes notwithstanding If necessity did not otherwise require as in the Case of suddain Sickness and other such like Extremities in
conclude with this Address to Almighty God That as He hath restored Your Majesty to the Throne of Your Father and done it in so strange a manner as makes it seem a Miracle in the Eyes of Christendom so He would settle You in the same on so sure a Bottom that no Design of Mischievous and Unquiet Men may disturb Your Peace or detract any thing from those Felicities which You have acquired So prayeth Dread Sovereign Your Majestie 's most obedient Servant and most Loyal Subject PETER HEYLYN To the Reader READER I Here present thee with a Piece of as great variety as can be easily comprehended in so narrow a compass the History of an Affair of such Weight and Consequence as had a powerful Influence on the rest of Christendome It is an History of the Reformation of the Church of England from the first Agitations in Religion under HENRY the Eight untill the final settling and establishing of it in Doctrine Government and Worship under the Fortunate and most Glorious Reign of Queen ELIZABETH Nor hast thou here a bare Relation onely of such Passages as those Times afforded but a discovery of those Counsels by which the Action was conducted the Rules of Piety and Prudence upon which it was carryed the several steps by which it was promoted or retarded in the Change of Times together with the Intercurrence of such civil Concernments both at home and abroad as either were co-incident with it or related to it So that We may affirm of this present History as Florus doth of his Compendium of the Roman Stories Ut non tam populi unius quam totius generis humani that is to say That it contains not onely the Affairs of one State or Nation but in a manner of the greatest part of all Civil Governments The Work first hinted by a Prince of an undanted Spirit the Master of as great a Courage as the World had any and to say truth the Work required it He durst not else have grapled with that mighty Adversary who claiming to be Successour to St. Peter in the See of Rome and Vicar-General to Christ over all the Church had gained unto himself an absolute Sovereignty over all Christian Kings and Princes in the Western Empire But this King being violently hurried with the transport of some private Affections and finding that the Pope appeared the greatest Obstacle to his desires he first divested him by degrees of that Supremacy which had been challenged and enjoyed by his Predecessours for some Ages past and finally extinguished His Authority in the Realm of England without noise or trouble to the great admiration and astonishment of the rest of the Christian World This opened the first way to the Reformation and gave encouragement to those who enclined unto it To which the King afforded no small Countenance out of Politick Ends by suffering them to have the Bible in the Englishâ—ongue â—ongue and to enjoy the benefit of such Godly Tractates as openly discovered the Corruptions of the Church of Rome But for his own part he adhered to his old Religion severely persecuted those who dissented from it and dyed though Excommunicated in that Faith and Doctrine which he had sucked in as it were with his Mother's Milk and of the wâ—ich he shewâ—d himself so stout a Champion against Martin Luther in his first Quarrels with the Pope Next comes a Minor on the Stage just mild and gracious whose Name was made a Property to serve turns withall and his Authority abused as commonly it happeneth on the like occâ—sions to his own undoing In his first year the Reformation was resolved on but on different ends endeavoured by some Godly Bâ—shops and other Learned and Religious Men of the lower Clergy out of Judgment Conscience who managed the Affair according to the Word of God the Practice of the Primitive Times the general current and consent of the old Catholick Doctours but not without an Eye to such Foreign Churches as seemed to have most consonancy to the antient Forms Promoted with like Zeal and Industry but not with like Integrity and Christian Candour by some great men about the Court who under colour of removing such Corruptions as remained in the Church had cast their â—yes upon the spoil of Shrines and Images though still preserved in the greatest part of the Lutheran Churches and the improving of their own Fortunes by the â—hantery-Lands All which most sacrilegiously they divided amongst themselves without admitting the poor King to his share therein though nothing but the filling of his Coffers by the spoil of the one and the encrease of his Revenue by the fall of the other was openly pretended in the Conduct of it But separating this â—bliquity from the main Intendment the Work was vigorously carryed on by the King and his Councellours as appears clearly by the Doctrinals in the Book of Homilies and by the Practical part of Christian Pâ—ety in the first Publick Liturgie confirmed by Act of Parliament in the second and third year of this King and in that Act and which is more by Fox himself affirmed to have been done by the especial aid of the Holy Ghost And here the business might have rested if Catvin's Pragmatical Spirit had not interposed He first began to quarrel at some passages in this Sacred Liturgâ—e and afterwards never left solliciting the Lord Protectour and practising by his Agents on the Court the Countrey and the Universities till he had laid the first Foundation of the Zuinglian Faction who laboured nothing more then Innovation both in Doctrine and Discipline To which they were encouraged by nothing more then some improvident Indulgence granted unto John A-Lasco Who bringing with him a mixt multitude of Poles and Germans obtained the Privilege of a Church for himself and his distinct in Government and Forms of Worship from the Church of England This gave a powerful animation to the Zuinglian Gospellers as they are called by Bishop Hooper and some other Writers to practise first upon the Church who being countenanced if not headed by the Earl of Warwick who then began to undermine the Lord Protectour first quarrelled the Episcopal Habit and afterwards inveighed against Caps and Surplices against Gowns and Tippets but fell at last upon the Altars which were left standing in all Churches by the Rules of the Liturgie The touching on this String made excellent Musick to most of the Grandees of the Court who had before cast many an envious Eye on those costly Hangings thâ—t Massie Plate and other rich and preâ—ious Utensils which adorned those Altars And What need all this waste said Judas when one poor Chalice onely and perhaps not that might have served the turn Besides there was no small spoil to be made of Copes in which the Priest officiated at the Holy Sacrament some of them being made of Cloth of Tyssue of Cloth of Gold and Silver or embroidered Velvet the meanest being made of Silk or Sattin with
cast his eye on the Lands of Bishoppricks though there were some who thought the time long till they fell upon them Concerning which there goes a story that after the Court-Harpies had devoured the greatest part of the spoyle which came by the suppression of Abbyes they began to seek some other way to satiate that greedy Appetite which the division of the former booty had left unsatisfied and for the satisfying whereof they found not any thing so necessary as the Bishops Lands This to effect Sir Thomas Seimour is imployed as the fittest man as being in favour with the King as brother to Queen Jane his most and best beloved wife and having the opportunity of accesse unto him as being one of the Gentlemen of his Privy Chamber And he not having any good affection to Arch-Bishop Cranmer desired that the experiment should be tryed on him and therefore took his time to informe the King that my Lord of Canterbury did nothing but fell his woods letting long leases for great fines and making havock of the Royalties of his Arch-Bishopprick to raise thereby a fortune to his wife and children withall he did acquaint the King that the Arch-Bishop kept no hospitality in respect of such a large Revenue and that in the opinion of many wise men it was more meet for the Bishops to have a sufficient yearely Stipend out of the Exchequer then to be so encumbred with temporall Royalties being so great a hindrance to their Studies and Pastorall Charge and that the said Lands and Royalists being taken to his Majesties use would afford him besides the said Annuall Stipends a great yearly Revenue The King soon smelt out the Device and shortly after sent him on an Errand to Lambeth about dinner time where he found all the tables in the great Hall to be very bountifully furnished the Arch-Bishop himselfe accompanied at dinner with divers persons of Quality his Table exceeding plentifully served and all things answerable to the Port of so great a Prelate Wherewith the King being made acquainted at his coming back he gave him such a Ratle for his false information and the design which visibly depended on it that neither he nor any other of the Courtiers durst stir any further in the suite whilest King Henry lived But the King considering further of it could not think fit that such a plausible Proposition as taking to himselfe the Lands of the Bishops should be made in vaine Only he was resolved to prey further off and not to fall upon the spoyle two neere the Court for feare of having more partakers in the Booty then might stand with his profit And to this end the deales with Hâ—lgate preferred not long before from Landâ—ff to the See of Yorke from whom he takes at one time no fewer then seventy Mannors and Town-ships of good old Rents given him in exchange to the like yearly value certain Impropriations Pensions Tithes and Portions of Tithes but all of an extended Rent which had accrued unto the Crown by the fall of Abbyes Which Lands he â—aid by Act of Parliament to the Dutchy of Lancaster For which see 37 Hen. 8. Câ—p 16. He dismembred also by these Acts certain Mannors from the See of Loâ—don in favâ—ur of Sir William Petie and others in the like manner from the See of Canterbury but not without some reasonable compensation or allowance for them And though by reason of his death which folâ—owed within short time after there was no further alienation made in his time of the Churches Patrimoney yet having opened such a Gap and discovered this secret that the sacred Patrimony might be alienated with so little trouble the Courtieâ—s of King Edwards time would not be kept from breaking violently into it and making up their own fortune in the spoyle of the Biâ—hopricks Of which we may â—peak more hereafter in it's proper place So impossible a thing it is for the iâ—l example of Great Princes not to finde followers in all ages especially where profit or preferment may be furthered by it But then it cannot be deâ—ied but that King Henry left the Church in many Respects in a better condition then he found it not only in order to the Reformation of Religion which none but such a Masculine Prince durst have undertaken but also in the Polity and endowments of it The Mâ—nâ—steries and Religious Houses might possibly be looked upon no otherwise then as so many excrescences upon the body of the Church exempt for the most part from the Episcopall Jurisdiction wholly depending on the Pope and such as might be taken away without any derogation to the Church in Power or Patrimony But Bishopricks being more essentiall to the constitution of the same he did not only preserve as before he found them but increased their number Such of the old Cathedralls as were founded on a Prior and Covent he changed into a Corporation of secular Priests consisting of a Deane and Prebendarles according to the proportion of their yearely rents of which sort were the Churches of Canterbury Winton Durham Elie Rochester Norwich and Carlile Six of the wealthier Monasteries he turned into Episcopall Sees that is to say the Abbyes of Westminster Peter Borough Bristoll Glocester and Chester with that of Oâ—sney for the See of the Bishop of Oxon assigning to every new Episcopall See its Deane and Chapter and unto every such Cathedrall a competent number of Quiremen and other Officers all of them liberally endowed and provided for And that the Church might be continually furnished with sufficient Seminaries he sounded a Grammer Schoole in every one of his Cathedralls either old or new with Annuall pensions to the Master and some allowance to be made to the children yearely and ordained also that in each of the two Universities there should be publick Readers in the faculties of Divinity Law and Physick and in the Greek and Hebrew Tongues all which he pensioned and endowed with lâ—berall Saâ—aries as the times then were Besides which publique benefactions he confirmed Cardinall Wolsies Colledge in Oxon by the name of Kings Colledge first and of Christ church afterwards and erected that most beautifull piâ—e of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge those being the two faâ—rest and most magnificent foundations in the Christian World As for the Polity of the Church he setled it in such a manner that Arch-bishops and Bishops might be chosen confirmed and consecrated and all the Subjects be relieved in their suits and Grievances without having such Recourse to the Court of Rome as formerly had drained the Realm of so much Treasure For having by his Proclamation of the 19th of September Anno 1530. prohibited all addresses and Appeales to the Popes of Rome he prevailed so farr upon his Bishops and Clergy intangled by the Cardinalls fall in a Premunire that they acknowledged him in their Convocation to be the Supreme Head on Earth of the Church of England and signified as much in a Publick Instrument bearing date the
22th day of March next following Upon this ground were buâ—lt the Statutes prohibiting all Appeales to Rome and for determining all Ecclesiasticall suites and controversies within the Kingdom 24. Hen. 8. cap. 1â— That for the manner of declaring and consecrating of Arch-Bishops and Bishops 25. Hen. 8. Cap. 20. and the prohibiting the payment of all impositions to the Court of Rome and for obtaining all such dispensations from the see of Canterbury which formerly were procured from the Popes of Rome 25. Hen. 8. Cap. 21. and finally that for declaring the King to be the Supreme Head of the Church of England and to have all Honours and Preheminences and amongst others the first-fruits and tenths of all Ecclesiasticall promotions within the Realm which were annexed unto that Title In the forme of consecrating Arch-Bishops and Bishops and the rule by which they excercised their Jurisdiction there was no change made but what the transposition of the Supreme Power from the Pope to the King must of necessity infer For whereas the Bishops and Clergy in the Convocation An. 1532. had bound themselves neither to make nor execute any Canons or Constitutions Ecclesiasticall but as they were thereto enabled by the Kings Authority it was by them desired assented to by him and confirmed in Parliament that all such Canons and Constitutions Synodall and Provinciall as were before in use and neither Repugnant to the Word of God the kings Prerogative Royall or the known Lawes of the Land should remaine in force till a review thereof were made by thirty two Persons of the Kings appointment Which review not having been made from that time to this all the said old Canons and Constitutions so restrained and qualified do still remaine in force as before they did For this Consult the Act of Parliament 25. Hen. 8. Cap. 1. And this and all the rest being setled then followed finally the Act for extinguishing the Power of the Pope of Rome 28. Hen. 8 Cap. 10. which before we mentioned In order to a Reformation in points of Doctrine he first directed his Bishops and Clergy in their Convocation Aâ—no 1537. to compile a Book containing The Exposition of the Creed the Lords Prayer the Avemary and the Ten Commandements together with an Explication of the use and nature of the seven Sacraments More cleerely in it self and more agreeable to the Truth of Holy Scripture then in former times which book being called The Institution of a Christian Maâ— was by them presented to the King who liked thereof so well that he sent it by Doctor Barlow Bishop of St. Davids to King James the fifth hoping thereby to induce him to make the like Reformation in the Realm of Scotland as was made in England though therein he was deceived of his expectation But this Book having lien dormant for a certain time that is to say as long as the six Articles were in force was afterwards corrected and explained by the Kings own hand and being by him so corrected was sent to be reviewed by Archâ—Bishop Cranmer by him referred with his own emendations on it to the Bishopâ— and Clergy then Assembled in their Convocation Anno 1543. and by them Approved VVhich care that Godly Prelate took as himselfe confesseth in a Letter to a friend of his bearing date January 25. because the book being to come out by the Kings Censure and Judgement he would have nothing in the same which Momus himselfe could Reprehend VVhich being done it was published shortly after by the name of a Necessary Doctrine and Erudition for any Christian man with an Epistle of the Kings Prefixt before it in which it was commended to the Perusall of all his subjects that were Religiously disposed Now as the first book was ushered in by an injunction published in Sâ—ptember An. 1536. by which all Curates were required to Teach the people to say the Lords Prayer the Creed the Aveâ—ary and the Ten Commandements in the English Tongue â—o was the second countenanced by a Proclamation which made way unto it bearing date May the sixth 1541 whereby it was commanded that the English Bible of the Larger Vollumne should publiquely be placed in every parish-Parish-Church of the Kings Dominions And here we are to understand that the Bible having been Translated into the English Tongue by the great paines of William Tyndall who after suffered for Religion in the Reigne of this King was by the Kings Command supprest and the reading of it interdicted by Proclamation the Bishops and other Learned men advising the reâ—traint thereof as the times then stood But afterward the times being changed and the People better fitted for so great a benefit the Bishops and Clergy Assembled in their Convocation Anno 1536. humbly petitioned to the King that the Bible being faithfully Translated and purged of such Prologues and Marginall Notes as formerly had given offence might be permitted from thenceforth to the use of the people According to which Godly motion his Majesty did not only give Order for a new Translation but in the Interim he permitted Cromwell his Viccar Generall to set out an Injunction for providing the whole Bible both in Latine and English after the Translation then in use which was called commonly by the name of Matthews Bible but was no other then that of Tyndall somewhat altered to be kept in every â—arish Church throughout the Kingdome And so it stood but not with such a Generall observation as the case required till the finishing of the new Translation Printed by Grafton countenanced by a learned Preface of Arch-Bishop Cranmer and Authorised by the Kings Proclamation of the sixth of May as before was said Finally that the people might be better made acquainted with the Prayers of the Church it was appointed a little before the Kings going to Bolloigne Anno 1545. that the Lâ—tany being put into the same forme almost in which now it stands should from thenceforth be said in the English Tongue So farr this King had gone in order to a Reformation that it was no hard matter for his Son or for those rather who had the Managing of Affaires during his Minority to go thorough with it In Reference to the Regall State he added to the Royal Stile these three Glorious Attributes that is to say Defender of the Faith The Supreme Head on Earth of the Church of England and King of Ireland In what manner he obtained the Title of Supreme Head conferred upon him by the Convocation in the year 1530. and confirmed by Act of Parliament in the 26 yeare of his Reign hath been showne before That of Defender of the Faith was first bestowed upon him by Pope Leo the tenth upon the publishing of a Book against Martin Luther which Book being presented unto the Pope by the hands of Doctor Clark afterwards Bishop of Bath and Wells hath been preserved ever since amongst the choisest Rarities of the Vatican Library Certain it is that the Pope was so well pleased
said Church to have been deceived in that what he before had taught them and to be sorry for delivering such Doctrine to them But these men might pretend some Warrant from the King's Injunctions which they might conceive it neither fit nor safe to oppose and therefore that it was the wisest way to strike Sail betimes upon the shooting of the first Warning-Piece to bring them in But no man was so much before hand with Authority as one Doctour Glasier who as soon as the Fast of Lent was over and it was well he had the Patâ—ence to stay so long affirmed publickly in a Sermon at Saint Paul's Cross That The Lent was not ordained of God to be Fasted neither the Eating of Flesh to be forborn but that the same was a Politick Ordinance of men and might therefore be broken by men at their pleasures For which Doctrine as the Preacher was never questioned the Temper of the Times giving Incouragement enough to such Extravagancies so did it open such a Gap to Carnal Liberty that the King found it necessary to shut it up again by a Proclamation on the sixteenth of January commanding Abstinence from all Flesh for the Lent then following But there was something more then the Authority of a Minour King which drew on such a General Conformity to these Injunctions and thereby smoothed the way to those Alterations both in Doctrine and Worship which the Grandees of the Court and Church had began to fashion The Lord Protectour and his Party were more experienced in Affairs of State then to be told That All great Counsels tending to Innovation in the Publick Government especially where Religion is concerned therein are either to be back'd by Arms or otherwise prove destructive to the Undertakers For this cause he resolves to put himself into the Head of an Army as well for the security of His Person and the Preservation of his Party as for the carrying on of the Design against all Opponents And for the Raising of an Army there could not be a fairer Colour nor a more popular Pretence then a War in Scotland not to be made on any new emergent Quarrel which might be apt to breed suspicion in the Heads of the People but in Pursuit of the great Project of the King deceased for Uniting that Realm by the Marriage of their young Queen to His onely Son to the Crown of England On this pretense Levies are made in all parts of the Kingdom great store of Arms and Ammunition drawn together to advance the service considerable Numbers of Old Souldiers brought over from Bulloign and the Peeces which depended on it and good Provision made of Shipping to attend the Motions of the Army upon all occasions He entertained also certain Regiments of Walloons and Germanes not out of any great Opinion which he had of their Valour though otherwise of good Experience in the Wars but because they were conceived more likely to enforce Obedience if his Designs should meet with any Opposition then the Natural English But in the first place Care was taken that none of the neighbouring Princes should either hinder his Proceedings or assist the Enemy To which end Doctour Wotton the first Dean of Canterbury then Resident with the Queen Dowager of Hungary who at that time was Regent of the Estates of Flanders for Charls the Fifth was dispatched unto the Emperour's Court there to succeed in the place of Doctour Bonner Bishop of London who together with Sir Francis Bryan had formerly been â—ent Embassadours thâ—ther from King Henry the Eighth The Principal part of his Employment besides such matters as are incident to all Ambassadours was to divert the Emperour from concluding any League with France contrary to the Capitulations made between the Emperour and the King deceased but to deal with him above all things for declaring himself an Enemy to all of the Scotish Nation but such as should be Friends to the King of England And because some Remainders of Hostility did still remain between the English and the French notwithstanding the late peace made between the Crowns it was thought fit to sweeten and oblige that People by all the acts of Correspondence and friendly Neighbourhood In Order whereunto it was commanded by the King's Proclamation That Restitution should be made of such Ships and Goods which had been taken from the French since the Death of King Henry Which being done also by the French though far short in the value of such Reprisals as had been taken by the English there was good hope of coming to a better understanding of one another and that by this Cessation of Arms both Kings might come in short time to a further Agreement But that which seemed to give most satisfaction to the Court of France was the performance of a solemn Obsequie for King Francis the First who left this Life on the twenty second day of March and was Magnificently Interred amongst His Predecessours in the Monastery of Saint Dennis not far from Paris Whose Funerals were no sooner Solemnized in France but Order was given for a Dirige to be sung in all the Churches in London on the nineteenth of June as also in the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul in the Quire whereof being hung with black a sumptuous Herse had been set up for the present Ceremony For the next day the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury assisted with Eight other of the Bishops all in their Rich Mitres and other their Pontificals did sing a Mass of Requiem the Funeral Sermon being preached by Doctour Ridley Lord Elect of Rochester who if he did his part therein as no doubt he did could not but magnifie the Prince for His Love to Learning Which was so great and eminent in Him that He was called by the French L' pere des Arts des Sciences and The Father of the Muses by some Writers of other Nations Which Attributes as He well deserved so did He Sympathize in that Affection as he did in many other things with King Henry the Eighth of whose Munificence for the Encouragements of Learning we have spoke before This great Solemnity being thus Honourably performed the Commissioners for the Visitation were dispatched to their several Circuits and the Army drawn from all parts to their Rendez-vous for the War with Scotland Of which two Actions that of the Visitation as the easiest and meeting with a People which had been long trained up in the Schole of Obedience was carried on without any shew of Opposition submitted to upon a very small Dispute even by some of those Bishops who were conceived most likely to have disturbed the business The first who declared his aversness to the King's Proceedings was Dr. Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester who stomaching his being left out of the Lift of the Council appeared more cross to all their doings then other of his Order For which being brought before their Lordships and not giving them such satisfaction as they looked for from
a most prudent Prince had formerly protested against the calling of this Council by Pope Paul the 3d. who did as much pretend to the peace of Christendome as the Pope now being that to admit a Minister of the Pope in the quality or capacity of a Nuncio inferred a â—acit acknowledgement of that supâ—emacy whereof he had been deprived by Act of Parliament that the Popes of Rome have alwaies raised great advantages by the smallest concessions and therefore that it was most expedient for the good of the Kingdom to keep him alwaies at a distance that Queen Mary in favour only unto Pâ—lâ— refused to give admittance to Cardinal Peitow though coming from the Pope in quality of a Legate a Lateâ—â—e that a great part of the people were in discontentment with the change of Religion and wanted nothing but such an opportunity to break out into action as the Nuncio's presence might afford them and therefore that it concerned the Queen to be as zealous for Religion and the weal of her people as her sister the late Queen Mary was in maintenance of Cardinal Pole and his private authority And to say truth the greatest obstacle in the way of the Nuncio's coming was partly laid in it by the indiscretion of some Papists in England and partly by the precipitancy of the Popes Ministers in Ireland For so it was that the only noise of the coming of a Nuncio from the Pope had wrought in sundry evil-disposed persons such a courage and boldness that they did not only break the Laws made against the Pope and his authority with great audacity but spread abroad false and slanderous reports that the Queen was at the point to change her Religion and alter the government of the Realm Some also had adventured further even to a practising with the Devil by conjurations charms and casting of Figures to be informed in the length and continuance of her majesties Reign And on the other side the Popes Legate being at the same time in Ireland not only joyned himself to some desperate Traytors who busied themselves in stirring up rebellion there but for as much as in him was had deprived her Majesty of all Right and Title to that Kingdom Upon which grounds it was carried clearly by the Board against the Nuncio Nor would they vary from the Vote upon the intercession of the French the Spaniard or whose displeasure was more dangerous of the Duke of Alva Nothing discouraged with the repulse which had been given to the French and Spaniard the Emperour Ferdinand must make tryal of his fortune also not as they did in favour of the Nuncio's coming but in perswading her to return to the old Religion To this end he exhorts her by his Letters in a friendly way not to relinquish the Communion of so many Catholick Kings and Princes and her own Ancestors into the bargain nor to prefer her single judgement and the judgement of a few private persons and those not the most learned neither before the judgement and determination of the Church of Christ. That if she were resolved to persist in her own opinion she should deal favourably with so many reverend and Religious Prelates as she kept in prison and which she kept in prison for no other reason but for adhering unto that Religion which himself professed and finally he intreats most earnestly that she would set apart some Churches to the use of the Catholicks in which they might with freedome exercise their own Religion according to the Rites and Doctrines of the Church of Rome To which desires she made a full and sufficient answer by satisfying him touching her merciful dealing with those Bishops whom for their obstinacy and many other weighty reasons she had deprived of their preferments in the Church And to the rest she answered That she had setled her Religion on so sure a bottome that she could not easily be changed that she doubted not but that she had many learned men in her Dominions which were able to defend the doctrine by them taught against all Opponents and that for granting any Churches to the use of the Papists it was a point so contrary to the polity and good Lawes of the Land that she desired to be excused for not yielding to it In which last she seemed to have an eye upon the Edict of the Emperour Constantine touching the meetings of the Marcionites Novatians Valentinians and other Hereticks of that age In which it was enjoined that none of them should from thenceforth hold any assemblys and that for the more certain conforming unto his Decree those Churches or other houses whatsoever they were in which they used to hold their Meetings should be demolished to the ground to the end that there might be no place in which such men as were devoted to their superstitious faction might have the opportunity of assembling together For which the Reader may consult Eusebius in the life of Constantine l. b. 3. cap. 63. But that it might appear both to him and others that she was ready to shew all just favours she laid a most severe command upon all her Officers for the full payment of all such pensions as had been granted unto all such Abbots Monks and Friers in the time of her father as were not since preferred in the Church to cures or dignities And this to be performed to the utmost farthing on pain of her most high displeasure in neglect thereof It could not be but that the governing of her affairs with such an even and steady hand though it occasioned admiration in some must needs create both envy and displeasure in the hearts of other Christian Princes from none of which she had a juster cause to fear some practice than the King of Spain or rather from the fierce and intemperate Spirit of the Duke of Alva as appeared afterwards when he was made Lord Deputy or Vice-Gerent of the Belgick Provinces They had both shewed themselves offended because their intercession in behalf of the Nuncio had found no better entertainment and when great persons are displeased it is no hard matter for them to revenge themselves if they find their adversaries either weak or not well provided But the Queen looked so well about her as not to be taken tardy in either kind For which end she augments her store of Arms and Ammunition and all things necessary for the defence of her Kingdom which course she had happily begun in the year foregoing But holding it a safer maxim in the Schools of Polity not to admit than to endeavour by strong hand to expel an enemy She entertains some fortunate thoughts of walling her Kingdom round about with a puissant Navy for Merchants had already increased their shipping by managing some part of that wealthy trade which formerly had been monopolized by the Haâ—se or Easterlings And she resolves not to be wanting to her self in building ships of such a burthen and so fit for service as might inable
of Worcester to which See 〈◊〉 Day and Heath were again restored The like course also followed for the depriving of all Deaâ—â— Dâ—gnâ—â—â—â—â—â—s and Parochial Ministers who had succeeded into any of those preâ—erments during the Reign of the two last Kings the old incumbeâ—ts whereof were then â—ound living and able to supply their places Which though it could not be objected against Dr Cox either in râ—ference to his Deâ—nry of â—hrist Church or that of 〈◊〉 both which he held at the same time yet being brought unto the Marshalâ—ey on the 5th of 〈◊〉 he was unjustly spoiâ—ed of both to make room for Dr Richard Marshall in the one and Dt Hugh Weston in the other And all this done without so much as any shew of legal processe or the conventing of the persons whom it did concern or any satisfaction given unto the Laws which in some cases favour possession more than right so strangely violated But greater was the havock which was made amongst them when there was any colour or pretence of Law as in the case of having wives or not conforming to the Queens pleasure in all points of Religion conâ—idering how forward and pragmatical too many were to run before the Laws in the like particular The Queen was zealous in her way and by her interesse strongly byassed to the Church of Rome But it concerned her to be wary and not to presse too much at once upon the people which generally were well affected to the Reformation Of this she had a stout experiment within very few dayes after her first entrance into London For so it hapned that Dr Bourn Arch-Deacon of London and one of the Prebends of St Paul's preaching a Sermon at the Crosse on the 13th of August inveighed in favour of Bishop Bonner who was present at it against some proceedings in the time of the late King Edward Which so incensed the people that suddenly a great tumult arose upon it some pelting him with stones others crying out aloud pull him down pull him down and one who never could be known flinging a dagger at his head which after was found sticking in a post of the Pulpit And greater had the mischief been upon this occasion if Mr Bradford and Mr Rogers two eminent Preachers in the time of King Edward and of great credit and esteem with the common people had not endeavoured to appease the enraged multitude and with great difficulty secured the Preacher in the School adjoining By reason of which tumult an Order was taken by the Lords of the Counâ—il with the mayor and Aldermen of London that they calling the next day following a Common Council of the City should thereby charge every housholder to cause their children and Apprentices to keep their own Parish Churches upon the Holy dayes and not to suffer them to attempt any thing to the violating of the common peace Willing them also to signifie to the said Assembly the Queens determination uttered to them by her Highnesse the 12th of August in the Tower Which was that albeit her Grace's conscience was staid in matters of Religion yet she gratiously meant to compel or strain other mens otherwise than God should as she trusted put into their hearts a perswasion of that truth which she was in through the opening of his word unto them by godly vertuous and learned Preachers that is to say such Preachers only as were to be hereafter licenced by the Queen's authority But yet for fear that these instructions might not edifie with the common people Order was taken for preventing the like tumult on the Sunday following At what time the Sermon was preached by Dr Watson who afterwards was Bishop of Lincoln but Chaplain only at that time to the Bishop of Winchester For whose security not only many of the Lords of the Council that is to say the Lord Treasurer the Lord Privy Seal the Earl of Bedford the Earl of Pembrook the Lords Wentworth and Rich were severally desired to be there present but Gerningham Captain of the Guard was appointed with two hundred of his stourest Yeomen to stand round about him with their Halberts The Mayor had also taken Order that all the Companies in their Liveries should be present at it which was well taken by the Queen And because the comming of the Guard on the one side affrighted some and the Order of the Lords above mentioned had restrained others from comming to those publick Sermons it was commanded by the Lord Mayor that the Ancients of all Companies should give attendance at those Sermons for the time to come lest otherwise the Preachers might be discouraged at the sight of so thin an Auditory The safety of those publick Preachers being thus provided for by the Lords of the Council there next care was that nothing should be preached in private Churches contrary to the Doctrine which was and should be â—aughâ— at the Cross by them which were appointed to it Whereupon it was further Ordered that every Alderman in his Ward should forthwith send for the Curates of every Church within their Liberties and warn them not only to forbear preaching themselves but also not to suffer any other to preach or make any open or solemn reading of Scripture in their Churches unless the said Preachers were severally licensed by the Queen To which purpose Letters were directed also to the Bishop of Norwich and possibly to all other Bishops in their several Diocesses But nothing more discovers the true state and temper of the present time than a Proclamation published by the Queen on the 18th of August The Tenor of which is as followeth The Queen's Highnesse well remembring what great inconvenience and dangers have grown to this her Reaâ—m in timesâ— past through the diversities of opinions in Questions of Religion and hearing also that now of late sithence the beginning of her most gratious Reign the same contentions be again much revived through certain false and untrue reports and rumoâ—rs spread by some evil-disposed persons hath thought good to give to understand to all Her Highnesse's most loving subjects her most grrtious pleasure in manner following First Her Majesty being presently by the only goodness of God setled in her just possession of the Imperial Crown of this Realm and other Dominions thereunto belonging cannot now hide that Religion which God and the world knoweth she hath ever proâ—essed from her infancy hitherto Which at her Majesty is minded to observe and maintain for her self by God's grace during her time so doth her Highness much desire and would be glad the some were of all her subjects quietly and charitably entertain'd And yet she doth signifie unto all her Majestie 's loving subjects that of Her most gratious disposition and clemency Her Highness mindeth not to â—ompel any Her said subjects thereunto until such time as further Order by common assent may be taken therein Forbidding nevertheless all her subjects of all degrees at their perils to move seditions or stir
unquietness in her people by interpreting the Laws of this Realm after their brains and fantasies but quietly to continue for the time till 〈◊〉 before is said further Order may be taken and therefore willeth and strâ—ightly chargeth and commondeth all her good loving subjects to live together in quiet sort and Christian Charity leaving those new found devilish terms of Papist and Heretick and such like and applying their whole care study and travail to live in the fear of God exercising their conversations in such charitable and Godly doing as their lives may indeed express the great hunger and thirst of God's glory which by rash talk and words many have pretended And in so doing they shall best please God and live without danger of the Laws and maintain the tranquility of the Realm Whereof as her highness shall be most glad so if any man shall rashly presume to make any assemblies of people or at any publick assemblies or otherwise shall go about to stir the people to disorder or disquiet she mandeth according to her duty to see the same most severely reformed and punished according to her Highnese's Lawes And furthermore for asmuch as it is well known that sedition and false rumours have been nourished and maintained in this Realâ— by the subtilty and malice of some evil-disposed persons which take upon them without sufficient authority to preach and to interpret the word of God after their own brains in Churches and other places both publick and private and also by playing of Interludes and Printing of false fond Books and Ballads Rimes and other lewd Treatises in the English Tongue conteining Doctrine in matter now in question and controversies touching the high points and mysteries in Christian Religion which Books Ballads Rimes and Treatises are chiefly by the Printers and Stationers set out to sale to her Graces subjects of an evil zeal for lucre and covetousnesse of vile gain Her Highnesse therefore streightly chargeth and commandeth all and every of her said subjects of whatsoever state condition or degree they be that none of them presume from henceforth to preach or by way of reading in Châ—rches or other publick or prâ—vate places except in Schools of the University to interpret or teach any Scriptures or any manner of points of Doctrine concerning Religion Neither also to Print any Boâ—k Matâ—er Ballad Rime Enterlude Processe or Treatise nor to play any Enterlude except they have her Graces special Licence in writing for the same upon pain to incur her Highnesse indignation and displeasure It cannot be denied but that this Proclamation was very cautiously and cunningly penned giving encouragement enough to those which had a mind to outrun the Law or otherwise to conform themselves to the Queen's Religion to follow their own course therein without dread or danger and yet commanding nothing contrary to the Lawes established which might give trouble or offence to the other party For hereupon many of the people shewed themselves so ready for receiving their old Religion that in many places of the Realm before any Law was made for the same they erected again their Altars and used the Masse and Latin Service in such sort as was wont to be in King Henry's time Which was so well taken by the Queen that all such as stood upon the Lawes which were made to the contrary before had a mâ—â—k of displeasure set upon them Which being observed by some of the Clergy they were as forward as the rest in setting up the Pageants of St Catherine and St Nicholas formerly erected in the Chancels and to set forth their Processions which they celebrated in the Latin tounge with their old solemnities contrary to the Lawes and Ordinances of King Edward's time All which irregular activities in the Priest and People were sheltred under the name of setting forward the Queens proceedings And by that name the official of the Arch-Deacon of Ely gave it in charge amongst the Articles of his visitation that the Church Wardens should present all such as did disturb the Queen's proceedings in letting the Latin Service setting up of Altars saying of Mass c. But more particularly at Cambridge the Vicechancellor challenged one Pierson on the 3d. of October for officiating the communion in his own Parish Church in the English tounge and on the 26. displaced Dr Madew Master of Clare Hall for being maried though they had both as much authority on their side as the Lawes could give them In like manner some of the Popish party in King's Colledge not tarrying the making of any Law on the 28th of the same officiated the Divine Service in the Latin tounge and on the 6th of November then next following a Sermon is preached openly at St Michaels contrary to the Lawes in that behalf not as then repealed Not altogether so eager on the scent at Oxon as they were at Cambridge though with more difficulty brought at first to the Reformation Only it pleased Dr Tresham one of the Canons of Christ Church of the last foundation to cause the great bell there to be new cast and christned by the name of Mary much comforting himself with the melodious found thereof when it toll'd to Mass which Marshall the new Dean by his help and counsel had again restored But these were only the Essays of those alterations which generally were intended in all parts of the Church assoon as the times were ripe for them and the people fitted to receive them in order whereunto it was not thought sufficient to displace the Bishopâ— and silence the Old Protestant Preachers also unless they brought them under some exemplary punishment that others might be terrified from the outward profession of that truth out of which they could not be disputed Of Ridley's being brought prisoner to the Tower and of Coxe's committing to the Marshalâ—ey we have spoke before On the 22d of August Letters are sent from the Lords of the Council commanding Bishop Coverdale and Bishop Hooper to appear before them By whom after two or three appearances committed to their several Prisons the one reserved for the stake the other sent upon request to the King of Denmark On the 5th of September the like Letters are dispatched to old Bishop Latimer committed close prisoner to the Tower on the 8th day after followed the next morning by Archbishop â—ranmeâ— whose Story doth require a more particular account of which more anon Harley of Hereâ—ord to which he had been conâ—ecrated in May foregoing and â—aylor of Lincoln another of the lâ—â—t of King Edward's Bishops were present at the opening of the Parliament on the 10th of October But no sooner was the Mass began though not then restoâ—ed by any Law than they left the Church For which the Bishop of Lincoln being first examined and making profession of his Faith prevented the malice of his enemies by a timely death And Harley upon information of his marriage was presently exâ—luded from the Parliament House and not long after
a deprivation So that for want of Canonical Ordination on the one side and under colour of uncanonical Mariages on the other we shall presently find such a general remove amongst the Bishops and Clergy as is not any where to be parallel'd in so short a time And because some affronts had been lately offered to such Priests as had been forward in setting up the Mass in their several Churches and that no small danger was incurred by Dr Bourn above mentioned for a Sermon preached at St Paul's Cross an Act was passed for the preventing of the like for the time to come Entituled An Act against offenders of Preachers and other Ministers in the Church Which two Acts were no sooner passed but they were seconded by the Queen with two Proclamations on the 5th of December By one of which it was declared That all Statutes made in the time of the late King Edward which concerned Religion were repealed by Parliament and therefore that the Mass should be said as formerly to begin on the 20th of that month And by the other it was commanded that no manner of person from thenceforth should dare to disturb the Priests in saying Mass or executing any other divine Office under the pains and penalties therein contained According unto which appointment the Mass was publickly officiated in all parts of the Kingdome and so continued during the Reign of this Queen without interruption There also past another Act wherein it was Enacted That the mariage between King Henry the 8th and Queen Katherine his first wife should be definitively cleerly and absolutely declared deemed adjudged to be and stand with God's Laws and his most Holy word and to be accepted reputed and taken of good effect and validity to all intents and purposes whatsoever that the Decree or Sentence of Divorce heretofore passed between the said King Henry the 8th and the said Queen by Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury should be deemed taken and reputed to be void and null with a repeal of all such Statutes or Acts of Parliament in which the Queen had been declared to be illegitimate The making of which Act as it did much conduce to the establishment of the Queen's estate so did it tacitly and implicitly acknowlege the supremacy to be in the Pope of Rome which could not be attained explicitly and in terms expresse as affairs then stood For since the mariage neither was nor could be reputed valid but by the dispensation of Pope Julius the 2d the declaration of the goodness and validity of it did consequently infer the Popes authority from which that dispensation issued And therefore it was well observed by the Author of the History of the Council of Trent that it seemed ridiculous in the English Nobility to oppose the restitution of the Popes supremacy when it was propounded to them by the Queen in the following Session considering that the yielding to this demand was virtually contained in their assent to the Mariage There also past another Act in which there was a clause for the invalidating of all such Commissions as had been granted in the time of the late Queen Jane and one in confirmation of the attainders of the late Duke of Northumberland Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury c. Which shews that there was somewhat in the said proceedings not so cleer in Law but that there seem'd necessity of calling in the Legislative power to confirm the same for the indempnity of those who had acted in them Together with this Parliament the Queen was pleased to summon a Convocation to the end that all matters of Religion might be first debated and concluded in a Synodical way before they were offered to the consideration of the other Assembly In the writs of which summons she retained the Title of Supream Head on earth of the Church of England c. the want whereof in those of the present Parliament occasioned a dispute amongst some of the members Whether they might lawfully proceed or not in such publick businesses as were to be propounded to them in that Session Archbishop Cranmer had been before imprisoned in the Tower of London and was detained there all the time of this Convocation so that he could not do that service to God and the Church which his place required This took for a sufficient ground to transfar the Presidentship of the Convocation upon Bonner of London privileged in respect of his See to preside in all such Provincial Synods which were either held during the vacancy of the See of Canterbury or in the necessary absence of the Metropolitan The lower house of the Clergy also was fitted with a Prolocutor of the same affections Dr Hugh Weston then newly substituted Dean of Westminster in the place of Cox being elected to that Office On Wednesday the 18th of October it was signified by the Prolocutor that it was the Queens pleasure that they of the House should debate of matters of Religion and proceed to the making of such constitutions as should be found necessary in that case But there was no equality in number between the parties and reason was of no authority where the major part had formerly resolved upon the points So partially had the elections been returned from the several Diocesses that we find none of King Edward's Clergy amongst the Clerks and such an alteration had been made in the Deans and Dignitaries that we find but six of that ranck neither to have suffrage in it that is to say James Haddon Dean of Exeter Walter Philips Dean of Rochester John Philpot Arch Deacon of Winchester John Elmer Arch Deacon of Stow in the Diocess of Lincoln Richard Cheny Arch Deacon of Hereford One more I find but without any name in the Acts and Mon who joined himself to the other five in the disputation Nor would the Prolocutor admit of more though earnestly desired by Philpot that some of the Divines which had the passing of the Book of Articles in King Edward's time might be associated with them in the defence thereof Which motion he the rather made because one of the points proposed by the Prolocutor related to a Catechism set forth in the said Kings time intituled to the said Convocation in the year 1552. Of which it was to be enquired whether or no it was the work of that Convocation But that matter being passed lightly over the main point in debate concerned the manner of Christs presence in the blessed Sacrament It was not denied by Philpot and the rest of the Protestant party that Christ was present in his Sacrament rightly ministred according to his institution but only that he was not present after the gross and carnal manner which they of the Popish party had before subscribed to Six days the disputation lasted but to little purpose for on the one side it was said by Weston and his associates that their adversaries were sufficiently confuted and all their Arguments fully answered And on the other side it was affirmed
her than Philip Prince of Spain A Prince in the verdure of his years and eldest son to the most Mighty Emperour Charles the 5th by whom the Netherlands being laid to England and both secured by the assistance and power of Spain this nation might be render'd more considerable both by sea and land than any people in the world To this last Match the Queen was carefully sollicited by the Bishop of Winchester who neither loved the person of Pole nor desired his company for fear of growing less in power and reputation by coming under the command of a Cardinal Legate To which end he encouraged Charles the Emperour to go on with this mariage for his son not without some secret intimation on his Advice for not suffering Pole to come into England if he were suffered to come at all till the Treaty were concluded and the Match agreed on According whereunto the Lord Lamoralle Earl of Edgmond Charles Earl of Lalain and John 〈◊〉 Mount Morency Earl of Horn arrived in England as Ambassadors from the Emperour In the beginning of January they began to treat upon the mariage which they found so well prepared before their coming that in short time it was accorded upon these conditions 1. That it should be lawful for Philip to assume the Title of all the Kingdoms and Provinces belonging to his wife and should be joint Governour with her over those Kingdoms the Privileges and Customes thereof always preserved inviolate and the full and free distribution of Bishopricks Benefices Favours and Offices alwayes remaining intire in the Queen 2. That the Queen should also carry the Titles of all those Realms into which Philip either then was or should be afterwards invested 3. That if the Queen survived Philip 60 thousand pounds per annum should be assigned to her for her joynture as had been formerly assigned to the Lady Margaret Sister to King Edward the 4th and Wife to Charles Duke of Burgundy 4. That the Issue begotten by this mariage should succeed in all the Queens Dominions as also in the Dukedom and County of Burgundy and all those Provinces in the Neatherlands of which the Emperour was possessed 5. That if none but daughters should proceed from this mariage the eldest should succeed in all the said Provinces of the Neatherlands provided that by the Counsel and consent of Charles the son of Philip by Mary of Portugal his first wife she should make choice of a husband out of England or the Neatherlands or otherwise to be deprived of her right in the succession in the said estates and Charles to be invested in them and in that cafe convenient portions to be made for her and the rest of the daughters 6. And finally That if the said Charles should depart this life without lawful issue that then the Heir surviving of this mariage though female only should succeed in all the Kingdoms of Spain together with all the Dominions and Estates of Italy thereunto belonging Conditions fair and large enough and more to the advantage of the Realm of England than the Crown of Spain But so it was not understood by the generality of the people of England many of which out of a restless disposition or otherwise desirous to restore the reformed Religion had caused it to be noised abroad that the Spaniards were by this accord to become the absolute Lords of all the Kingdom that they were to have the managing of all affairs and that abolishing all the ancient Laws of the Realm they would impose upon the land a most intolerable yoke of servitude as a conquered Nation Which either being certainly known or probably suspected by the Queen and the Council it was thought fit that the Lord Chancelor should make a true and perfect declaration of all the points of the Agreement not only in the Presence Chamber to such Lords and Gentlemen as were at that time about the Court and the City of London but also to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen and certain of the chief Commoners of that City purposely sent for to the Court upon the occasion Which services he perform'd on the 14th and 15th days of January And having summarily reported all the Articles of the capitulation he shewed unto them how much they were bound to thank God That such a Noble Worthy and Famous Prince would vonchsafe so to humble himself as in this mariage to take upon him rather as a subject than otherwise Considering that the Queen and her Council were to Rule and Govern all things as they did before and that none of the Spaniards or other strangers were to be of the Council nor to have the custody of any Castles Forts c. nor to have any office in the Queen's house or elsewhere throughout the Kingdom In which respect it was the Queens request to the Lords and Gentlemen That for her sake they would most lovingly receive the said Prince with â—oy and honour and to the Lord Mayor and the Citizens That they would behave themselves to be good subjects with all humility and rejoycing Which declaration notwithstanding the subjects were not easily satisfied in those fears and jealousies which cunningly had been infused into them by some popular spirits who greedily affected a change of Government and to that end sowed divers other discontents amongst the people To some they secretly complained That the Queen had broke her promise to the Suffolk men in suppressing the Religion setled by King Edward the 6th to others That the mariage with the Prince of Spain was but the introduction to a second vassalage to the Popes of Rome sometimes they pitied the calamity of the Lady Jane not only forcibly deposed but barbarously condemned to a cruel death and sometimes magnified the eminent vertues of the Princess Elizabeth as the only blessing of the Kingdom and by those Articles prepared the people in most places for the act of Rebellion And that it might succeed the better nothing must be pretended but the preservation and defence of their Civil Liberties which they knew was generally like to take both with Papists and Protestants but so that they had many engines to draw such others to the side as either were considerable for power or quality The Duke of Suffolk was hooked in upon the promise of re-establishing his daughter in the Royal throne the Carews and other Gentlemen of Devonshire upon assurance of marying the Lord Courtney to the Princess Elizabeth and setting the Crown upon their heads and all they that wished well to the Reformation upon the like hopes of restoring that Religion which had been setled by the care and piety of the good King Edward but now suppressed contrary to all faith the promise by the Queeâ— and her Ministers By means of which suggestions and subtil practices the contagion was so generally diffused over all the Kingdom that if it had not accidently broke out before the time appointed by them it was conceived by many wise and knowing
vain about it In these distractions some of the Franckfort Schismaticks desire that all divine Offices might be executed according to the order of the Church of Geneva which Knox would by no means yield unto thinking himself as able to make a Rule for his own Congregation as any Calvin of them all But that the mouths of those of Stralsburge and Zuriâ—k might be stopped for ever he is content to make so much use of him as by the authority of his judgment to disgrace that Liturgy which those of Zurick did contend for He knew well how he had bestirred himself in quarrelling the first Liturgy of King Edward the 6th and nothing doubteth but that the second though reviewed on his importunity would give him as little satisfaction as the other did To this intent the Order of the English Liturgy is drawn up in Latine transmitted to him by Knox and Whittingham by this infallible judgment to stand or fall The Oracle returns this answer on the 31 of January In Liturgia Anglâ—cana qualem mihi describitis multas vidâ—o tolerabiles ineptias That in the Book of England as by them described he had observed many tolerable fooleries Whiâ—h last words being somewhat ambiguous as all Oracles are he explicates himself by telling them That there wanted much of that purity which was to be desired in it that it contained many relicks of the dregs of Popery that being there was no manifest impiety in it it had been tolerated for a season because at first it could not otherwise be admitted But howsoever though it was lawful to begin with such beggarly rudiments yet it behoved the learned grave and godly Ministers of Christ to endeavour farther and set forth something more refined from filth and rustinesse This being sent for his determinate sentence unto Knox and Whittingham was of such prevalency with all the rest of that party that such who â—ormerly did approve did afterwards as much dislike the English Liturgy and those who at the first had conceived onely a dislike grew afterwards into an open detestation of it Those who before had been desirous that the Order of Geneva should be entertained had now drawn Knox and Whittingham unto them Mr. John Fox the Author of the Acts and Monuments contributing his approbation amongst the rest But in the end to give content to such as remained affected to the former Liturgy it was agreed upon That a mixt Form consisting partly of the Order of Geneva and partly of the Book of England should be digested and received till the first of April consideration in the mean time to be had of some other course which should be permanent and obliging for the time to come In this condition of affairs Doctor Richard Cox the late Dean of christ-Christ-Church and Westminster first Schoolmaster and after Almoner to King Edward the sixth putteth himself into Franckfort March 13. accompanied with many English Exiles whom the cause of Religion had necessitated to forsake their Country Being a man of great learning of great authority in the Church and one that had a principal hand in drawing up the Liturgy by Law established he could with no patience endure those innovations in it or rather that rejection of it which he found amongst them He thereupon first begins to answer the Minister contrary to the Order there agreed on and the next Sunday after causeth one of his company to go into the Pulpit and read the Letany Against which doings of his Knox in a Sermon the same day inveigheth most bitterly affirming many things in the Book of England not onely to be imperfect but superstitious For the which he is not onely rebuked by Cox but forbidden to preach Wherewith Whittingham being much offended deals with some of the Magistrates from whom he procureth an Order of the 22 of March requiring That the English should conform themselves to the Rules of the French Knox had not long before published a seditious Pamphlet entituled An Admonition to Christians containing the substance of some Sermons by him preached in Engâ—and in one of which he affirmed the Emperor to be no lesse an enemy to Christ that the â—yrant Nero. For this and several other passages of the like dangerous nature he is accused by Cox for Treason against the Emperor the Senate made acquainted with it and Knox commanded thereupon to depart the City who makes hâ—s Farewel-Sermon on the 25th of March and retires himself unto Geneva Following his blow Cox gets an order of the Senate by the means of another of the Glaâ—berges by which Whittingham and the rest of his faction were commanded to receive the Book of England Against which order Whiâ—tingham for a time opposeth encouraged therein by Goodman who for the love of Knox with whom afterwards he associated in all his practices had left the grave soâ—iety of those of Stralsbâ—rge to joyn himself unto the Sectaries of 〈…〉 But finding Cox to be too strong for them in the Senate both they and all the rest who refused conformity resolved to betake themselves to some other place as they shortly did Cox thus made Master of the field begins to put the Congregation into such order as might preserve the face and reputation of an English Church He procures Whitehead to be chosen for the principal Paâ—â—or appoints two Ministers for Elders and four Deacons for aâ—â—istants to him recommends Mr. Robert Horn whom he had drawn from Zurick thither to be Hebrew-Reader Mullings to read the Greek Lecture Trahern the Lecture in Divinity and Chambers to be Treasurer for the Contributions which were sent in from time to time by many godly and wellâ—affected persons both Dutch and English for the use of that Church Having thus setled all things answerable to his own desires he gives an account thereof to Calvin subscribed by fourteen of the chief men in that Congregation partly excusing themselves that they had proceeded so far without his consent and partly rejoycing that they had drawn the greatest part of that Church to their own opinions Calvin returns his Answer on the last of May which puts his party there on another project that is to say to have the whole business referred to some Arbitrators equally chosen on both sides But Cox was already in possession great in esteem with the chief Magistrates of the City and would by no means yield to refer that point which had already been determined to his advantage With these debates the time is taken up till the end of August at what time Whiâ—tingham and the rest of the faction take their leave of Franckfort Fox with some few others go to Basil but the main body to Geneva as their Mâ—ther-City where they make choice of Knox and Goodman for their constant Preachers under which Ministry they reject the whole frame and fabrick of the Reformation made in England conformed themselves wholly to the fashions of the Church of Geneva and therewith entertain
been necessary in point of State that so great a Princess should not die without some of her Bishops going before and some comming after Her funeral solemnized at Westminster with a Mass of Reqâ—iem in the wonted form on the 13th of December then next following and her body interred on the North side of the Chapel of King Henry the seventh her beloved Grandfather I shall not trouble my self with giving any other character of this Queen than what may be gathered from her story much less in descanting on that which is made by others who have heaped upon her many gracious praise-worthy qualities of which whether she were Mistress or not I dispute not now She was indeed a great Benefactresse to the Clergy in releasing them of their Tenths and First-fruits but she lost nothing by the bargain the Clergy paid her back again in their Bills of Subsidies which growing into an annual payment for seven years together and every Subsidy amounting to a double Tenth conduced as visibly to the constant fillâ—ng of the Exchequer as the payment of the Tenths and First-fruits had done before That which went clearly out of her purse without retribution was the re-edifying and endowment of some few Religious Houses mentioned in their proper place she also built the publick Schools in the University of Oxon for which commemorated in the list of their Benefactors which being decayed in tract of time and of no beautiful structure when they were at the best were taken down about the year 1612. in place whereof but on a larger extent of ground was raised that goodly and magnificent Fabrick which we now behold And though she had no followers in her first foundations yet by the last she gave encouragement to two worthy Gentlement to add two new Colleges in Oxon to the former number Sir â—homas Pope one of the Visitors of Abeys and other Religious Houses in the time of King Henry had got into his hands a small College in Oxon long before founded by the Bishop and Prior of Durham to serve for a Nursery of Novices to that greater Monastery with some of the Lands thereunto belonging and some others of his own he erected it into a new Foundation consisting of a President twelve Fellows and as many Scholars and called it by the name of Trinity College A College sufficiently famous for the education of the learned and renowned Selden who needs no other Tâ—tles of honor than what may be gathered from his Books and the giving of eight thousand Volumes of all sorts to the Oxford Library Greater as to the number of Fellows and Scholars was the Foundation of Sir Thomas White Lord Mayor of London in the year 1553. being the first year of the Queen who in the place where formerly stood an old House or Hostel commonly called Barnards Inne erected a new College by the name of St. John Baptists College consisting of a President fifty Fellows and Scholars besides some Officers and Servants which belonged to the Chapel the vacant places to be filled for the most part out of the Merchant Taylors School in London of which Company he had been free before his Mayoralty A College founded as it seems in a lucky hour affording to the Church in less than the space of eighty years no fewer than two Archbishops and four Bishops that is to say Doctor William Laud the most renowned Archbishop of Canterbury of whom more else-where Doctor Tobiâ— Matthews the most reverend Archbishop of York Doctor William Juxon Bishop of London and Lord Treasurer Doctor John Bucheridge Bishop of Elie Doctor Rowâ—and Serchfield Bishop of Bristol Doctor Boyl Bishop of Cork in the Realm of Ireland Had it not been for these Foundations there had been nothing in this Reign to have made it memorable but onely the calamities and misfortunes of it ECCLESIA RESTAVRATA OR THE HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION of the CHURCH OF ENGLAND CONTAINING The Beginning Progress and Successes of it the Counsels by which it was conducted the Rules of Piety and Prudence upon which it was Founded the several Steps by which it was promoted or retarded in the Change of Times FROM The first Preparations to it by King HENRY the Eight untill the Legal Settling and Establishment of it under Queen ELIZABETH TOGETHER With the Intermixture of such Civil Actions and Affairs of State as either were Co-incident with it or related to it BY PETER HEYLYN LONDON Printed for H. Twyford T. Dring J. Place W. Palmer to be sold in Vine-Court Middle-Temple the George in Fleet-street Furnival 's Inne-Gate in Holborn and the Palm-Tree in Fleet-street MDCLXI To the Most Sacred MAJESTY OF KING CHARLES THE SECOND Most Gracious Sovereign IT was an usual Saying of King JAMES Your Majestie 's most Learned Grand-Father of Blessed Memory that Of all the Churches in the World He knew not any which came nearer to the Primitive Pattern for Doctrine Government and Worship then the Reformed Church of England A Saying which He built not upon Fancy and Affection onely but on such Just and Solid Reasons as might sufficiently endear it to all Knowing Men. The Truth and Certainty whereof will be made apparent by the following History which here in all Humility is offered to Your Majestie 's View It is Dread Sir an History of the Reformation of the Church of ENGLAND with all the Various Fortunes and Successes of it from the first Agitations in Religion under HENRY the Eight which served for a Preamble thereunto until the Legal Settling and Establishment of it by the great Queen ELIZABETH of Happy Memory A Piece not to be Dedicated to any other then Your Sacred Majesty who being rais'd by God to be a Nursing-Father to this part of His Church may possibly discharge that Duty with the Greater Tenderness when You shall finde upon what Rules of Piety and Christian Prudence the Work was carryed on by the first Reformers Which being once found it will be no hard matter to determine of such Means and Counsels whereby the Church may be restored to her Peace and Purity from which She is most miserably fallen by our late Distractions It cannot be denyed but that some Tares grew up almost immediatly with the Wheat it self and seem'd so specious to the Eye in the Blade or Stalk that they were taken by some Credulous and Confiding Men for the better Grain But still they were no more then Tares distinguished easily in the Fruits the Fruits of Errour and False Doctrine of Faction Schism Disorder and perhaps Sedition from the LORD' 's good Seed And being of an aâ—ter sowing a Supersemination as the Vulgar reads it and sown on purpose by a Cunning and Industrious Enemy to raise an Harvest to himself they neither can pretend to the same Antiquity and much less to the Purity of that Sacred Seed with which the Field was sown at first by the Heavenly Husband-man I leave the Application of this Parable to the following History and shall
Appellation had been so entituled Which appeares more plainly by a particular of the Robes and Ornaments which were preparing for the day of this Solemnity as they are entred on Record in the book called The Catalogue of Honour published by Thomas Mills of Canterbury where it appeares also that they were prepared only but never used by reason of the Kings death which prevented the Sollemnities of it The ground of this Error I conceive first to be taken from John Stow who finding a creation of some Noble men and the making of many Knights to relate to the 18 day of October supposed it to have been done with reference to the Creation of a Prince of Wales whereas if I might take the liberty of putting in my own conjecture I should conceive rather that it was done with Reference to the Princes Christning as in like manner we find a creation of three Earles and five to inferiour Titles at the Christning of the Princesse Mary born to King James after his coming into England and Christened upon Sunday the fifth of May. 1604. And I conceive withall that Sir Edward Seimour Vicount Beauchamp the Queenes elder brother was then created Earle of Hartford to make him more capable of being one of the Godfathers or a Deputy-Godfather at the least to the Royall Infant the Court not being then in a condition by reason of the mournfull accident of the late Queenes death to show it selfe in any extraordinary splendour as the occasion had required at another time Among which persons so advanced to the Dignity and degree of Knighthood I find Mr. Thomas Seimour the Queenes youngest brother to be one of the number of whom we shall have frequent occasion to speak more fully and particularly in the course of this History No other alteration made in the face of the Court but that Sir William Pawlet was made Treasurer and Sir John Russell Comptroller of his Majesties Houshold on the said 18th day of October which I conceive to be the day of the Princes Christning both of them being principall Actors in the Afâ—aires and troubles of the following times But in the face of the Church there appeared some lines which looked directly towards a Reformation For besides the surrendring of divers Monasteries and the executing of some Abbots and other Religious Persons for their stiffenesse if I may not call it a perversenesse in opposing the Kings desires there are two things of speciall note which concurred this year as the Prognosticks or â—ore-runners of those great events which after followed in his Reign For it appeares by a Memoriall of the Famous Library of Sir Robert Cotton that Grafton now made known to Cromwell the finishing of the English Bible of which he had printed 1500. at his own proper charges amounting in the totall to 500. p. desiring stoppage of a surreptitions Edition in a lesse Letter which else would tend to his undoing the suit endeared by Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury at whose request Cromwell presents one of the Bibles to the King and procures the same to be allowed by his Authority to be read publiquely without comptrole in all his Dominions and for so doing he receives a letter of thanks from the said Arch-Bishop dated August the 13th of this present year Nor were the Bishops and Clergy wanting to advance the work by publishing a certain book in the English Tongue which they entituled The Institution of a Christian Man in which the Doctrine of the Sacraments the Creed the Lords Prayer and the Commandments were opened and expounded more perspicuously and lesse abhorrent from the truth then in former times By which clear light of Holy Scripture and the principall duties of Religion so laid opâ—n to them the people were the better able to discerne the errors and corruptionâ— of the Church of Rome From which by the piety of this Prince they were fully Freed And for a preamble thereunto the Rood of Boxley commonly called the Rood of Grace so Artificially contrived by reason of some secret wires in the body or concavities of it that it could move the eyes the lips c. to the great wonder and astonishment of the common people was openly discovered for a lewd imposture and broke in pieces at St. Pauls Cross on Sunday the 24. of February the Rood of Bermondsey Abby in South-work following the same fortune also within six dayes The next year brings an end to almost all the Monasteries and Religious houses in the Realme of England surrendered into the Kings hands by publâ—que instruments under the seales of all the severall and respective Convents and those surrenderies ratified and confirmed by Act of Parliament And this occasionally conduced to the future peace and quiet of this young Prince by removing out of the way some Great Pretenders who otherwise might have created to him no small disturbance For so it happened that Henry Earle of Devâ—nshire and Mary wife of Exceter descended from a daughter of King Edward the fâ—urth and Henry Pole Lord Mountacute descended from a daughter of George Duke of Clarence the second brother of that Edward under colour of preventing or revenging the Dissolution of so many famous Abbyes and religious houses associated themselves with Sir Edward Nâ—vill and Sir Nicholas Carew in a dangerous practise against the person of the King and the Peace of the Kingdom By whose endictment it appeares that it was their purpose and designe to destroy the King and advance Reginald Pole one of the younger brothers of the said Lord Mountacute of whom we shall hear more in the course of this History to the Regalâ— Throne Which how it could consist with the Pretensions of the Marquisse of Exceter or the Ambition of the Lord Mountacute the elder brother of this Reginald it is hard to say But having the Chronicle of John Speed to justifie me in the truth hereof in this particular I shall not take upon me to dispute the point The dangerous practise of which Persons did not so much retard the worke of Reformation as their execution did advance it to this year also appertaineth the suppressing of Pilgrimages the defacing of the costly and magnâ—ficent shrines of our Lady of Walsingham Ipswich Worcester c and more particularly of Thomas Becket once Arch-Bishop of Canterbury This last so rich in Jewells of most inestimable value that two great chests were filled with the spoyles thereoâ— so heavy and capacious as is affirmed by Bishop â—oodwin that each of them required no fewer then eight men to carry them out of the Church nothing inferiour unto Gold being charged within them More modestly in this then Sanders that malitious Sycophant who will have no lesse then twenty six waine load of silver Gold and precious stones to be seised into the Kings hands by the spoyle of that Monument Which proceedings so exasperated the Pope then being that without more delay by his Bull of January 1. he deprived the King
unto the Church of Saint Peter in Westminster was placed in the Chair of Saint Edward the Confessour in the middest of a Throne seven steps high This Throne was erected near unto the Altar upon a Stage arising with steps on both sides covered with Carpets and Hangings of Arras Where after the King had rested a little being by certain noble Courtiers carried in another Chair unto the four sides of the Stage He was by the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury declared unto the People standing round about both by God's and Man's Laws to be the Right and Lawfull King of England France and Ireland and Proclaimed that day to be Crowned Consecrated and Anointed Unto whom He demanded whether they would obey and serve or Not By whom it was again with a loud cry answered God save the King and Ever live his Majesty Which Passage I the rather note because it is observed that at the Coronation of some former Kings The Arch-Bishop went to the four squares of the Scaffold and with a loud voice asked the Consent of the People But this was at such Times and in such Cases only when the Kings came unto the Crown by Disputed Titles for maintainance whereof the Favour and Consent of the people seemed a matter necessary as at the Coronations of King Henry the Fourth or King Richard the Third and not when it devolved upon them as it did upon this King by a Right unquestioned The Coronation was accompanied as the Custome is with a general Pardon But as there never was a Feast so great from which some men departed not with empty bellies so either out of Envy or some former Grudge or for some other cause unknown six Persons were excluded from the taste of this gracious Banquet that is to say the Lord Thomas Howard Duke of Nâ—rfolk a condemned Prisoner in the Tower Edward Lord Courtney eldest Son to the late Marquess of Exeter beheaded in the last times of King Henry the Eight Cardinal Pâ—le one of the Sons of Margaret Countess of Salisbury proscribed by the same King also Doctour Richard Pate declared Bishop of Worcester in the place of Hierome de Nugaticis in the year 1534. and by that Name subscribing to some of the first Acts of the Councel of Trent who being sent to Rome on some Publick Imployment chose rather to remain there in perpetual Exile then to take the Oath of Supremacy at his coming home as by the Laws he must have done or otherwise have fared no better then the Bishop of Rochester who lost his head on the refusal Of the two others Fortescue and Throgmorton I have found nothing but the Names and therefore can but name them onely But they all lived to better times the Duke of Norfolk being restored by Queen Mary to his Lands Liberty and Honours as the Lord Courtney was to the Earldom of Devonshire enjoyed by many of his Noble Progenitours Cardinal Pole admitted first into the Kingdom in the capacity of a Legate from the Pope of Rome and after Cranmer's death advanced to the See of Canterbury and Doctour Pate preferred unto the actual Possession of the See of Worcester of which he formerly had enjoyed no more but the empty Title These Great Solemnities being thus passed over the Grandees of the Court began to entertain some thoughts of a Reformation In which they found Arch-Bishop Cranmer and some other Bishops to be as foreward as themselves but on different ends endeavoured by the Bishops in a pious Zeal for rectifying such thing as were amiss in God's publick Worship but by the Courtiers on an Hope to enrich themselves by the spoil of the Bishopricks To the Advancement of which work the Conjuncture seemed as proper as they could desire For First the King being of such tender age and wholly Governed by the Will of the Lord Protectour who had declared himself a friend to the Lutheran Party in the time of King Henry was easie to be moulded into any form which the authority of Power and Reason could imprint upon Him The Lord Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk and Doctour Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester who formerly had been the greatest Sticklers at the Coâ—ncil-Table in Maintainance of the Religion of the Church of Rome were not long able to support it the one of them being a condemned Prisoner in the Tower as before was said and the other upon some just displeasure not named by King Henry amongst the Councellours of State who were to have the managing of Affairs in His Son's Minoâ—â—ty Bonner then Bishop of London was absent at that time in the Court of the Emperour to whom he had been sent Embassadour by the former King And no professed Champion for the Papacy remained amongst them of whom they had cause to stand in doubt but the new Earl of South-hampton Whom when they were not able to remove from his old Opinions it was resolved to make him less both in Power and Credit so that he should not be able to hinder the pursuit of those Counsels which he was not willing to promote And therefore on the sixth of March the Great Seal was taken from him by the King's Command and for a while committed to the custody of Sir William Pawlet Created Lord St John of Basing and made Great Master of the Houshold by King Henry the Eighth And on the other side it was thought expedient for the better carrying on of the Design not onely to release all such as had been committed unto Prison but also to recall all such as had been forced to abandon the Kingdom for not submitting to the Superstitions and Corruptions of the Church of Rome Great were the Numbers of the first who had their Fetters strucken off by this mercifull Prince and were permitted to enjoy that Liberty of Conscience for which they had suffered all Extremities in His Father's time Onely it is observed of one Thomas Dobbs once Fellow of Saint John's-College in Cambridg condemned for speaking against the Mass and thereupon committed to the Counter in Bread-street that he alone did take a view of this Land of Canaan into which he was not suffered to enter It being so ordered by the Divine Providence that he died in Prison before his Pardon could be signed by the Lord Protectour Amongst the rest which were in number very many those of chief note were Doctour Miles Coverdale after Bishop of Exeter Mr. John Hooper after Bishop of Glocester Mr. John Philpot after Arch-Deacon of Winchester Mr. John Rogers after one of the Prebends of Saint Paul's and many others eminent for their Zeal and Pâ—ety which they declared by preferring a good Conscience before their Lives in the time of Queen Mary But the busâ—nâ—ss was of greater Moment then to expect the coming back of the Learned men who though they came not time enough to begin the work yet did they prove exceeding serviceable in the furtherance of it And therefore neither to lose time nor to press too
sorry Pittances were forced to put themselves into Gentlemens Houses and there to serve as Clerkâ— of the Kitching Surveyourâ— Receivers c. pag. 241. All which Enormities though tending so apparently to the Dâ—shonour of God the Disservice of the Church and the Disgrace of Religion were generally connived at by the Lords and others who onely had the power to Reform the same because they could not question those who had so miserably invaded the Churches Patrimony without condemning of themselves Thus leaving England for a while we are to take a short Survey of Affairs in Scotland into which the French had put ten thousand Souldiers three thousand of them being Almains under the Command of Mounsieur D' Essie who joyning with the Scots laid Siege before the Town of Haddington on Peter's-Eve For the Relief whereof a strength of one thousand three hundred Horse was sent from Berwick under the Conduct of Sir Robert Bowes and Sir Thomas Palmer who falling very unfortunately into the Hands of the Enemy were for the most part slain or taken The English notwithstanding made good the Town and held it out so long that in the end the Earl of Shrewsbury with a Power of sixteen thousand men of which there were four thousand Lansquenets or Germane Souldiers appeared in fight On whose approach the Enemy withdrew themselves and raised their Siege on or about the twentieth day of August giving great commendation to the English Garison for the notable service they had done in defence of the Town The Siege being raised the Earl of Shrewbury with his Forces returned for England leaving the Town well stored with Victuals and plentifully furnished with all manner of Ammunition which put the Souldiers of the Garison into so good heart that they made many Sallies out and frequently Skirmished with the French and Scots whom they found Quartered in the Villages and Towns adjoyning But the matter being taken into Debate by the Council of England it was Resolved especially by those who secretly envied at the Power and Greatness of the Lord Protectour That the keeping of the Town would not quit the Cost as being farthest from the Borders and not to be Relieved if it were distressed without the raising and imploying of a Royal Army And thereupon the Earl of Rutland was sent thither with three thousand of the Lansquenets and as many Borderers who coming to the Town on the twentieth of September sleighted the Works and having destroyed the Houses caused all the Ordnance and Carriages to be sent to Berwick and returned without Battail The voluntary quitting of which Town drew after it the loss of all the Peeces which we held in Scotland The English Forces being removed from the Town of Haddington the French immediately prepared for their going home-wards carrying a richer Lading with them then all the Arms and Ammunition which they brought at their coming For while the Army lay at the Siege at Haddington the Ministers of the French King were busied in Treaty with the Scots for putting the Young Queen into their Power transporting her into France and Marrying her unto the Daulphin But in this point they found the Council much divided Some thought That the Conditions offered by the Lord Protectour not till then generally known were to be embraced in regard it gave them an assurance of ten years Peace at the least and that if either of the Princes died within that time they should be left at Liberty to Order the Affairs of that Kingdom to the most Advantage But against this it was alledged by those of the opposite Party whom the French King had bought with ready Money and Anual Pensions That as long as the Queen remained amongst them they should never be Free from the Pretensions of the English From which there was no question but they would desist when they saw the Ground thereof to be taken away by the Queens Removal Of which Party besides those which were corrupted by the Gold of France were the Bishops and Clergy who being Zealous for the preservation of their Old Religion abominated nothing more then the Alliance with England And so the matter being carried in behalf of the French and there being now no further need of them for defence of the Countrey they gave Order to make ready their Shipping and nominated a set day for their Departure Which day being come they Coasted about Scotland by the Isles of Orkney took in the young Queen at Dunâ—britton-Castle and passing through St. George's Chanel arrived in Bretaigne whilest a strong Squadron of the English attended for their coming in the Narrow-Seas But this Departure of the French though it much weakened did not disanimate the Scots for making trial of their Fortune against the Hume-Castle and Fast-Castle remained amongst some others as Thorns in their Sides but they regained them both this year Hume-Castle they surprised by means of some of their own Nation who being reputed Friends and suffered to have free and frequent Access unto it had Opportunity both to discover the Weaknesses of it and by what Ways it might most easily be taken And being more cordially affected to their Old Country-men then their New Acquaintance they directed a select number of Souldiers to some secret Paâ—sages by which having fiâ—st climbed up a very steep Rock they found an Entrance into the Castle put the secure Garison to the Sword and possessed the Place leaving a fair warning unto all others Fast-Castle they surprised by a Warlike Stratageme For the Governour having Commanded the neighbouring Villages at a prefixed day to bring in their Contribution of Corn and other necessary Provision the Enemy makes Use of this Opportunity Souldiers habited like Peasants came at the day fraught with their Burthens whereof having eased their Horses they carry them on their shoulders over the Bridg which joyned two Rocks together and so gained Entrance the Watch-word being given they cast down their Burthens till the Sentinels open the Gates to their Fellows and become Masters of the Place The News of which Surprisals together with that of the Queens Removal being brought into the Court of England which then began to be divided into Sides and Factions there was no further Care taken for the Prosecution of the Scotish War which for the pâ—esent much refreshed that impoveâ—ished Kâ—ngdom Now while these Traverses of War were made in Scotland there was no solid Peace though no open Discord in the Church of England It hath been shewed that Bishop Gardiner having long lain Prisoner in the Fleet was on the Morrow after Twelâ—th-Day last restored to Liberty and permitted to return unto his Diocess Where contrary to the Promise made at his Enlargment he began to shew himself displeased with the King's Proceedings in the case of Images Concerning which he wrote a long Letter to the Lord Protectour on the twenty first of May and backed it with another of the sixth of June and otherwise appeared so cross to the
is that upon the very first Reports of a Reformation here intended Calvin had offered his Assistance to Arch-Bishop Craenmer as himself confesseth But the Arch-Bishop knew the Man and refused the Offer And it appears in one of Bishop Latimer's Sermons that there was report about this time of Melancthon's coming but it proved onely a Report And though it was thought necessary for the better seasoning of the Vniversities in the Protestant Reformed Religion that Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr two eminent Divines of the Foreign Churches should be invited to come over yet the Arch-Bishop's Letter of Invitation sent to Martin Bucer was not written till the twelfth day of October At what time the Liturgie then in hand being the chief Key to the whole Work of Reformation was in very good forwardness and must needs be compleatly finished before he could so settle and dispose his Affairs in Germany as to come for England And though Peter Martyr being either more at Leasure or less engaged or otherwise more willing to accept of the Invitation came many Moneths before the other yet neither do we finde him here till the end of November when the Liturgie had been approved of by the King and Council if it had not also passed the Approbation of both Houses of Parliament Nor was it likely that they should make use of such a Man in composing a Liturgie wherein they were resolved to retain a great part of the Antient Ceremonies who being made Canon of Christ-Church in Oxford and frequently present at Divine Service in that Church could never be prevailed with to put on the Surplice Being left therefore to themselves they were at the more liberty for following the King 's most Godly and most Wise Directions having in the first place an eye and respect to the most sincere and Pure Religion taught by the Scripture and in the second to the Vsages of the Primitive Church and making out of both one convenient and meet Order Rite and Fashion of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments to be had and used in the Realm of Englâ—nd and the Principality of Wales Which being finished they all subscribed their Names unto it but Day of Chichester who would by no means have his Hand in the Subscription as is related in the Register-Book of the Parish of Petwoâ—th But being subscribed by all the rest it was by them with all due Reverence humbly presented to the King by whom it was received to His great Comfort and Quietness of mind as the Statute telleth us And being by him commended to the Lords and Commons then Assembled in Parliament which Parliament took beginning on the fourth day of November they did not onâ—ly give His Highness most hearty and lowly thanks for his Care therein but on peruâ—aâ— of the Book declared it to be done by the aid of the Holy Ghost And therâ—upoâ— considering the Godly Prayers Orders Rites and Ceremonies in the said Book mentioned and also the reasons of Altering of those things which be altered and the retaining those things which be retained together with the Hoâ—our of God and the great Quietâ—ess which by the Grace of God was likely to ensâ—e on suâ—h an Uâ—iform Order in Common Prayer Rites and External Ceremonies to be used in all England and Wales in Calice and the Marches of the â—ame it was Eâ—acâ—ed That all and singular Ministers in any Cathedral or 〈◊〉 Church or other Place within this Realm of England Wales Calce and the Marches of the same or other the King's Dominions should from and after the Feast of Pentecost next coming that Interval being given for the Printing of it be bounden to say and use the Mattens Even-song Celebration of the Lord's Supper â—â—mmonly caâ—â—ed The Mass and Administration of each of the Sacraments and all their Common and Open Prayer in such Order and Form as is mentioned in the same Book and no otherwise with several Penalties therein mentioned to be imposed on all such in their several places as either should willfully refuse to Officiate by it or hinder the Lawfull Exâ—cution oâ— it or speak any thing in Derogation of the said Book or any thing therein contained The passing of this Act gave great Offence to those of the Romish Paâ—ty not that they could except against it in regard either of the Manner or Matter of it which they acknowledged to be Consonant to the Antient Forms but bâ—cause it was communicated to the People in the Vulgar Tongue And this they charged as a gâ—eat Eâ—rour in those Men who had the chief Hand in the Conduct of that Affâ—iâ— becaâ—se that by the Rules thereof the Scriptures were to be read publâ—ckly in the 〈◊〉 Tongue Which what else was it as they said but the committing so much Heavenly Treasure unto Râ—tten Vessels the trusting so much Excellent 〈◊〉 to such Musty Bâ—ttles And being that there are many things in he Divine Offices of the Church quae secreta esse debent as the Cardinal telleth us which ought to have been kept as Secrets from all Vulgar knowledg it must needs be of very ill Conâ—equence to communicate them to all sorâ—s of People But certainly the Holy Ghost was able to direct the Church in â— betâ—er way then such as should be subject unto Man's Exceptions And he directs the Service of the Church to be Officiated in such a Language to which the ignorant and unlearned may say Amen 1 Cor. xiv 9 16. Upon which Words it is observed by Lyra and Aquinas two as great Clerks as any in the Church of Rome That The Publick Service of the Church in the Primitive Times was in the Common Vulgar Language The like affirmed by Doctour Haâ—aing as great a Stickler for that Church and the Doctrines of it as any other of his Time adding withall That it was necessary in the Primitive Times that it should be so and granting also That it were still better that the People had their Service in their own Vulgar Tongue for their better understanding of it So he in Answer to the Challenge made by Bishop Jewel Art 3. Sect. 28 and 33. And theâ—efore having the confession and acknowledgment of the very Adveâ—saâ—y not onely as to the Antiquity but the Fitness also of Celebrating Divine Offices in the Vulgar Language it may be thought a loss both of Time and Travail to press the Argument any further Which nâ—twithstanding for the more perfect clearing of the Point in question it wâ—ll be found upon a very easie seach that the Jews did Celebrate their Divine Offiâ—es Tractatus and Oblationes as the Father hath it most commonly in the Syriack and sometimes in the Hebrew Tongue the natural Languages of that People as is affirmed by St. Ambrose upon 1 Cor. cap. 14. and out of him by Durand in his Rationale Eckius a great Servant of the Popes affirmeth in his Common Places That the Indians have their Service in the Indian Tongue and
Edward Wotton Doctour Wotton and Sir Richard Southwell Of which some shewed themselves against him upon former Grudges as the Earl of South-hampton some out of hope to share those Offices amongst them which he had ingrossed unto himself many because they loved to follow the strongest side few in regard of any Benefit which was like to Redound by it to the Common-Wealth the greatest part complaining that they had not their equal Dividend when the Lands of Chanteries Free-Chapels c. were given up for a Prey to the greater Courtiers but all of them disguising their private Ends under pretense of doing service to the Publick The Combination being thus made and the Lords of the Defection convented together at Ely-House in Holborn where the Earl then dwelt they sent for the Lord Mayour and Aldermen to come before them To whom it is declared by the Lord Chancellour Rich a man of Sommerset's own preferring in a long Oration in what dangers the Kingdom was involved by the mis-Government and Practices of the Lord Protectour against whom he objected also many Misdemeanours some frivolous some false and many of them of such a Nature as either were to be condemned in themselves or forgiven in him For in that Speech he charged him amongst other things with the loss of the King's Peeces in France and Scotland the sowing of Dissension betwixt the Nobility and the Commons Embezelling the Treasures of the King and inverting the Publick stock of the Kingdom to his private use It was Objected also That he was wholly acted by the Will of his Wife and therefore no fit man to command a Kingdom That he had interrupted the ordinary Course of Justice by keeping a Court of Requests in his own House in which he many times determined of mens Free-holds That he had demolished many Consecrated Places and Episcopal Houses to Erect a Palace for himself spending one hundred pounds per diem in superflous Buildings That by taking to himself the Title of Duke of Sommerset he declared plainly his aspiring to the Crown of this Realm and finally having so unnaturally laboured the Death of his Brother he was no longer to be trusted with the Life of the King And thereupon he desires or conjures them rather to joyn themselves unto the Lords who aimed at nothing in their Counsels but the Safety of the King the Honour of the Kingdom and the Preservation of the People in Peace and Happiness But these Designs could not so closely be contrived as not to come unto the Knowledg of the Lord Protectour who then remained at Hampton-Court with the rest of the Lords who seemed to continue firm unto him And on the same day on which this meeting was at London being the sixth day of October he causeth Proclamation to be made at the Court-Gates and afterwards in other places near adjoyning requiring all sorts of persons to come in for the defence of the King's Person whom he conveyed the same night unto Windsore-Castle with a strength of five hundred men or thereabouts too many for a Guard and too few for an Army From thence he writes his Letters to the Earl of Warwick to the rest of the Lords as also to the Lord Mayour and City of London of whom he demanded a supply of a thousand men for the present service of the King But that Proud City seldom true to the Royal Interess and secretly obsequious to every popular Pretender seemed more inclinable to gratifie the Lords in the like Demands then to comply with his Desires The News hereof being brought unto him and finding that Master Secretary Peter whom he had sent with a secret Message to the Lords in London returned not back unto the Court be presently flung up the Cards either for want of Courage to play out the Game or rather choosing willingly to lose the Set then venture the whole Stock of the Kingdom on it So that upon the first coming of some of the opposite Lords to Windsore he puts himself into their hands by whom on the fourteenth day of the same Moneth he is brought to London and committed Prisoner to the Tower pitied the less even by those that loved him because he had so tamely betrayed himself The Duke of Sommerset no longer to be called Protectour being thus laid up a Parliament beginneth as the other two had done before on the fourth of November In which there passed two Acts of especial consequence besides the Act for removing all Images out of the Church and calling in all Books of false and superstitious Worship before-remembred to the concernments of Religion The first declared to this Effect That Such form and manner of making and Consecrating Arch-Bishops and Bishopt Priests Deacons and other Ministers of the Church as by six Prelates and six other Learned Men of this Realm learned in God's Law by the King to be appointed and assigned or by the most number of thâ—m shall be devised for that purpose and set forth under the Great Seal before the First of April next coming shall be lawfully exercised and used and no other The number of the Bishops and the Learned Men which are appointed by this Act assure me that the King made choice of the very same whom he had formerly imployed in composing the Liturgie the Bishop of Chichester being left out by reason of his Refractoriness in not subscribing to the same And they accordingly applyed themselves unto the Work following therein the Rules of the Primitive Church as they are rather recapitulated then ordained in the fourth Councel of Carthage Anno 401. Which though but National in it self was generally both approved and received as to the Form of Consecrating Bishops and inferiour Ministers in all the Churches of the West Which Book being finished was made use of without further Authority till the year 1552. At what time being added to the second Liturgie it was approved of and confirmed as a part thereof by Act of Parliament An. 5. Edw. 6. cap. 1. And of this Book it is we finde mention in the 36th Article of Queen Elizabeth's Time In which it is Declared That Whosoever wâ—re Consecrated and Ordered according to the Rites thereof should be reputed and adjudged to be lawfully Consecrated and rightly Ordered Which Declaration of the Church was afterwards made good by Act of Parliament in the eighth year of that Queen in which the said Ordinal of the third of King EDVVARD the Sixth is confirmed and ratified The other of the said two Acts was For enabling the King to nominate Eight Bishops as many Temporal Lords and sixteen Members of the Lower House of Parliament for reviewing all such Canons and Constitutions as remained in force by Virtue of the Statute made in the 25th year of the late King HENRY and fitting them for the Vse of the Church in all Times succeeding According to which Act the King directed a Commission to Arch-Bishop Cranmer and the rest of the Persons whom he
Hoods To give a beginning hereunto Bishop Ridley then Bishop of London obediently conforming unto that which he could not hinder did the same day Officiate the Divine Service of the Morning in his Rochet onely without Cope or Vestment he Preached also at St. Paul's Cross in the afternoon the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Companies in their best Liveries being present at it the Sermon tending for the most part to the setting forth of the said Book of Common-Prayer and to acquaint them with the Reason of such Alterations as were made therein On the same day the New Liturgie was executed also in all the Churches of London And not long after I know not by what strange forwardness in them that did it the Upper Quire in St. Paul's Church where the High-Altar stood was broken down and all the Quiâ—e thereabout and the Communion-Table was placed in the Lower Part of the Quiâ—e where the Priest sang the Dayly Service What hereupon ensued of the Rich Ornaments and Plate wherewith every Church was furnished after its proportion we shall see shortly when the King's Commissioners shall be sent abroad to seise upon them in His Name for their own Commodity About this time the Psalms of David did first begin to be Composed in English Meeter by one Thomas Sternhold one of the Grooms of the Privy-Chamber who Translating no more then thirty seven left both Example and Encouragement to John Hopkins and others to dispatch the rest A Device first taken up in France by one Clement Marot one of the Grooms of the Bed-Chamber to King Francis the First who being much addicted to Poetry and having some acquaintance with those which were thought to have enclined to the Reformation was perswaded by the Learned Vatablus Professour of the Hebrew Tongue in the University of Paris to exercise his Poetical Fancies in Translating some of David's Psalms For whose satisfaction and his own he Translated the first fifty of them and after flying to Geneva grew acquainted with Beza who in some tract of time Translated the other hundred also and caused them to be fitted unto several Tunes which â— hereupon began to be Sung in private houses and by degrees to be taken up in all the Churches of the French and other Nations which followed the Genevian Plat-form Marot's Translation said by Strada to have been ignorantly and perversely done as being but the Work of a man altogether unlearned but not to be compared with that Barbarity and Botching which every where occurreth in the Translation of Sternhold and Hopkins Which notwithstanding being first allowed for private Devotion they were by little and little brought into the use of the Church Permitted rather then Allowed to be Sung before and after Sermons afterwards Printed and bound up with the Common-Prayer-Book and at last added by the Stationers at the end of the Bible For though it be expressed in the Title of those Singing Psalms that they were set forth and allowed to be Sung in all Churches before and after Morning and Evening Prayer and also before and after Sermons yet this Allowance seems rather to have been a Connivance then an Approbation No such Allowance being any where found by such as have been most Industrious and concerned in the search thereof At first it was pretended onely that the said Psalms should be Sung before and after Morning and Evening Prayer and also before and after Sermons which shews they were not to be intermingled in the Publick Liturgie But in some tract of time as the Puritan Faction grew in strength and confidence they prevailed so far in most places to thrust the Te Deum the Benedictus the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimittis quite out of the Church But of this more perhaps hereafter when we shall come to the Discovery of the Puritan Practices in the Times succeeding Next to the business of Religion that which took up a great part of the Publick Care was the Founding and Establishing of the new Hospital in the late dissolved House of Grey-Friers near New-gate in the City of London and that of St. Thomas in the Borough of Soâ—thwark Concerning which we are to know that the Church belonging to the said House together with the Cloysters and almost all the Publick Building which stood within the Liberties and Precincts thereof had the good Fortune to escape that Ruin which Generally befell all other Houses of that Nature And standing undemolished till the last Times of King Henry it was given by him not many days before His Death to the City of London together with the late dissolved Priory called Little St. Bartholomew's which at the Suppression thereof was valued at 305. pounds 6. s. 7. d. In which Donation there was Reference had to a Double End The one for the Relieving of the Poor out of the Rents of such Messuages and Tenements as in the Grant thereof are contained and specified The other for Constituting a Parish-Church in the Church of the said dissolved Grey-Friers not onely for the use of such as lived within the Precincts of the said two Houses but for the Inhabitants of the Parishes of Saint Nicholas in the Shambles and of Saint Ewines scituate in Warwick-Lane-end near New-gate Market Which Churches with all the Rents and Profits belonging to them were given to the City at the same time also and for advancing the same ends together with five hundred Marks by the year for ever the Church of the Grey-Friers to be from thenceforth called Christ-Church Founded by King Henry the Eighth All which was signified to the City in a Sermon Preached at Saint Paul's Cross by the Bishop of Rochester on the thirteenth of January being no more then a Fortnight before the death of the King so that He wanted not the Prayers of the Poor at the Time of His Death to serve as a Counter-Ballance for those many Curses which the poor Monks and Friers had bestowed upon Him in the Time of His Life In pursuance of this double Design the Church of the said Friers which had before served as a Magazine or Store-house for such French-Wines as had been taken by Reprise was cleansed and made fit for Holy uses and Mass again sang in it on the thirteenth day of January before remembred resorted to by such Parishioners as were appointed to it by the King's Donation After which followed in the first years of King Edward the Sixth the taking down of the said two Churches and building several Tenements on the Ground of the Churches and Church-Yards the Rents thereof to be imployed for the further maintenance and Relief of the poor living and loytering in and about the City to the great Dishonour of the same But neither the first Grant of the King nor these new Additions being able to carry on the work to the end desired it happened that Bishop Ridley preaching before the King did much insist upon the settling of of some constant course for Relief of the Poor Which
was at the Heart the more Sorrowful appearance did he outwardly Make. Whither any tokens of Poyson did Appear reports are various Certainly his Physicians discerned an invincible Malignity in his disease and the Suspicion did the more encrease for that the Complaint proceded chiefly from the Lights a part as of no quickness so no seat for any sharp Disease The Bruit whereof being got amongst the People they break out into immoderate Passions Complaining that for this cause his two Uncles had been taken away that for this cause the most Faithful of his Nobility and of his Council were disgraced and removed from Court that this was the reason why such were placed next his Person who were most assuredly disposed either to commit or permit any Mischeif that now it did appear that it was not vainly conjectured some years before by Men of Judgment and Foresight that after Sommerset's Death the King should not long Enjoy his Life But the DVKE regarded not much the muttering Multitude knowing full well that Rumours grow Stale and Vanish with Time and yet somewhat to abate or Delay them for the present He caused speeches â—o be spread abroad that the KING began to be in a Recovery of his Health which was the more readily Beleived because most desired it to be true To which Report the General Jugdment of his Physicians gave no little Countenance by whom it was affirmed that they saw some hopes of his Recovery if he might be removed to a Better and more Healthful Air. But this DVKE Dudly did not like of and therefore he so dealt with the LORDS of the Council that they would by no means yield unto it upon pretense of his Inability to endure any such Remove And now the time being near at hand for the last Act of this Tragedy a certain Gentlewoman accounted a fit Instrument for the purpose offered her Service for the Cure giving no small assurance of it if He might be committed wholy to her disposing But from this Proposition the KING'S Physicians shewed themselves to be very averse in regard that as she could give no reason either of the nature of the Disease or of the part afflicted so she would not declare the means whereby she intended to work the Cure Whose Opposition notwithstanding it was in time resolved by the Lords of the Council that the Physicians should be discharged and the Ordering of the King's Person committed unto her alone But she had not kept Him long in hand when He was found to have fallen into such Desperate Extremity as manifestly might Declare that His Death was hastened under pretense of finding out a more quick way for restoring of His Health For now it visibly appeared that His Vital Parts were mortally stuffed Which brought Him to a difficulty of speech and breathing that His Legs swelled his Pulse failed and his Skin changed colour with many other horrid Symptoms of approching Death Which being observed the Physicians were again sent for when it was too late and sent for as they gave it out but for Fashion onely because it was not thought fit in Reason of State that a King should by without having some Physicians in attendance of him by some of which it was secretly whispered That neither their Advice nor Applications had been at all regarded in the course of his Sickness That the King had been ill dealt with more then once or twice and that when by the Benefit both of his Youth and of careful Means there were some fair hopes of his Recovery He was again more strongly Over-laied then ever And for a farther proof that some undue Practises had been used upon him it is Affirmed by a Writer of the Popish Party who could have no great cause to pity such a Calamitous End not onely that the Apothecary who poysoned him as well for the Horrour of the Offence as the Disquietness of his Conscience did not long after drown himself but that the Landress who washed his Shirts loâ—t the Skin of her fingers Againâ—t which general apprehensions of some ill Dealing toward this unfortunate Prince it can be no sufficient Argument if any Argument at all that Queen Mary caused no Enquiry to be made about it as some supposed She would have done if the suspicion had been raised upon any good Grounds For it may easily be Believed that She who afterwards admitted of a Consultation for Burning the Body of Her Father and cutting off the Head of Her Siâ—ter would not be over-Careful in the search and punâ—shment of those who had precipitated the Death of her Brother The differences which were between them in the point of Religion and the King's forwardness in the Cause of the Lady Jane His rendring Her uncapaable as much as in Him was to succeed in the Crown and leaving Her in the Estate of Illegitimation were thought to have enough in them of a Supersedeas unto all Good Nature So that the King might dye by such sinister Practises without putting Queen MARY to the trouble of enquiring after them who thought Her Self to have no Reason of being too sollicitous in searching out the secret Causes of His Death who had been so injurious to Her in the time of His Life A Life which lasted little and was full of trouble so that Death could not be unwelcome to Him when the hopes of His Recovery began to fail Him Of which if He desired a Restitution it was rather for the Church's sake then for His own His dying Prayers not so much aiming at the prolonging of His Life as the Continuance of Religion Not so much at the freeing of Himself from His Disease as the preserving of the Church from the danger of Popery Which dying Prayer as it was taken from His Mouth was in these words following Lord God deliver me out of this miserable and wretched life and take me among thy Chosen Howbeit not my Will but Thine be done Lord I commit my Spirit to Thee O Lord Thou knowest how happy it were for Me to be with Thee Yet for thy Chosen's sake send me Life and Health that I may truly se ve Thee Oh my Lord God! bless my People and save Thine Inheritance O Lord God save thy Chosen People of England Oh Lord God! defend this Realm from Papistry and maintain thy true Religion that I and my People may praise thy Holy Name for Jesus Christ his sake With this Prayer and other Holy Meditations He prepared that Pious Soul for God which He surrendred into the Hands of His Creatout on the sixth of July toward Night when He had lived fifteen Years eight Moneths and four and twenty Days Of which He had Reigned six Years five Moneths and eight Days over His Body kept a while at Greenwich was on the eight of August removed to Westminster and on the morrow after solemnly Interred amoâ—gst His Ancestours in the Abbey Church In the performance whereof the Lord Treasure Paulet with the Earls of
Shrewsbury and Pembroke served as principal Mourners the Funeral Sermoâ— Preached by Doctour Day then shortly to be re-established in the See of Chichester And if the Dead â—e capable of any Felicity in this present Woald He might be said to have had a special part thereof in this particular viz. That as He had caused all Divine Offices to be Celebrated in the English Tongue according to the Reformation which was made in the time of His Life so the whole Service of the Day together with the Form of Burial and the Communion following on it were Officiated in the English Tongue according to the same Model on the Day of his Obsequies But whilest these things were Acting on the Câ—urch of Westminster Queen Mary held a more beneficial Obsequie for Him as She then imagined in the Tower of London where She caused a Solemn Dirige in the Latine Tongue to be Chanted in the Afternoon and the next Day a Mass of Requiem to be sung for the good of His Sonl At which both She and many of Her Ladies made their accustomed Offerings according to the Form and Manner of the Church of Kome Such was the Life and such the Death of this Excellent Prince whose Character I shall not borrow from any of our own English Writers who may be thought to have been byassed by their own Affections in speaking more or less of Him then He had deserved But I shall speak Him in the words of that Great Philosopher Hierome Cardanus an Italian born and who professing the Religion of the Church of Rome cannot be rationally accused of Partiality in his Character of Him There was in Him saith he a towardly Disposition and pregnancie apt to all Humane Literature as who being yet a Childe had the knowledg of divers Tongues First of the English His own Natural Tongue of the Latine also and of the French Neither was He ignorant as I hear of the Greek Italian and Spanish Tongues and of other Languages peradventure more In His own in the French and in the Latine Tongue singularly perfect and with the like facility apt to receive all other Neither was He ignorant in Logick in the Principles of Natural Philosophie or in Musick There was in Him lacking neither Humanity a Princely Gravity and Majesty for any kind of towardliness beseeming a Noble King Briefly it might seem A Miracle of Nature to behold the Excellent Wit and Forwardness that appeared in Him being yet but a Childe And this saith he I speak not Rhetorically to amplifie things or to make them more then Truth is nay the Truth is more then I do utter So He in reference to His Perâ—onal Abâ—lities and Qualifications And for the rest that is to say His Piety to Almighty God His Zeal to the Reformation of Religion His Care for the well-ordering of the Common-Wealth and other Qualities belonging to a Christian King so far as they could be found in such tender years I leave them to be gathered from the Passages of His Life as before lai'd down Remembring well that I am to play the Part of an Historian and not of a Panegyrist or Rhetorician As for the manner of His Death the same Philosopher leaves it under a suspicion of being like to fall upon Him by some dangerous Practise For whether He divined it by his ART in Astrologie having Calculated the Scheme of His Nativity or apprehended it by the Course and Carriage of Business he made a dangerous Prediction when he fore-saw that the KING should shortly dye a violent Death and as he reporteth fled out of the Kingdom for fear of further danger which might follow on it Of any Publick Works of Piety in the Reign of this KING more then the Founding and Endowing of the Hospitals before-remembred I finde no mention in our Authours which cannot be affirmed of the Reign of any of His Predecessours since their first receiving of the Gospel But their Times were for building up and His unfortunate Reign was for pulling down Howsoever I finde His Name remembred amongst the Benefactours to the University of Oxford and by that Name required to be commemorated in all the Prayers before such Sermons as were Preached ordinarily by any of that Body in Saint Marie's Church or at Saint Paul's Cross or finally in the Spittle without Bishops-Gate on some solemn Festivals But possibly it is that his Beneficence did extend no further then either to the Confirmation of such Endowments as had been made unto that University by King Henry the Eight or to the excepting of all Colleges in that and the other University out of the Statute or Act of Parliament by which all Chantries Colleges and Free-Chapels were conferred upon Him The want of which Redemption in the Grant of the said Chantries Colleges Free-Chapels to King Henry the Eight strook such a Terrour unto the Students of both Universities that they could never think themselves secure till the Expiring of that Statute by the Death of the King notwithstanding a very Pious and Judicious Letter which had been written to the King in that behalf by Doctour Richard Cox then Dean of Christ-Church and Tâ—â—our to His Son Prince Edward But not to leave this Reign without the Testimony of some Work of Piety I cannot but remember the Foundation of the Hospital of Christ in Abindon as a Work not onely of this Time but the King 's own Act. A Guild or Brother-hood had been there founded in the Parish-Church of Saint Hellens during the Reign of King Henry the Sixth by the procurement of one Sir John Gollafrie a near Neighbouring Gentleman for Building and Repairing certain Bridges and High-waies about the Town as also for the Sustenance and Relief of thirteen poor People with two or more Priests for performing all Divine Offices unto those of the Brother-hood Which being brought within the Compass of the Act of Parliament by which all Chantries Colleges and Free-Chappels were conferred on the Crown the Lands hereof were seized on to the use of the King the Repairing of the Waies and Bridges turned upon the Town and the Poor left Destitute in a manner of all Relief In which Condition it remained till the last Year of the King when it was moved by Sir John Mason one of the Masters of Requests a Town-born Childe and one of the poorest mens Children in it to erect an Hospital in the same and to Endow it with such of the Lands belonging to the former Brother-hood as remained in the Crown and to charge it with the Services and Pious Uses which were before incumbent on the old Fraternity The Suitour was too powerfull to be denyed and the Work too Charitable in it self to be long demurr'd on so that he was easily made Master also of this Request Having obtained the King's Consent he caused a handsome Pile of Building to be Erected near the Church distributed into several Lodgings for the Use of the Poor and one convenient Common-Hall
Proficiency in all parts of Learning she became very dear to the young King Edward to whom Fox not onely makes Her equal but doth acknowledge her also to be His Superiour in those Noble Studies And for an Ornament superadded to Her other Perfections she was most zealously affected to the true Protestant Religion then by Law established which She embraced not out of any outward compliance with the present current of the Times but because Her own most Excellent Judgment had been fully satisfied in the Truth and Purity thereof All which together did so endear her to the King that he took great Delight in Her Conversation and made it the first step to that Royal Throne to which He afterwards designed Her in the Time of His Sickness Thus lived she in these sweet Contentments till she came unto the years of Marriage when she that never found in Her self the least Spark of Ambition was made the most unhappy Instrument of another man's Dudly of Warwick a Person of a proud deceitfull and aspiring Nature began to entertain some Ambitious thoughts when Edward first began to Reign but kept them down as long as his two Uncles lived together in Peace and Concord But having found a means to dissolve that knot occasioned by the Pride and Insolency of the Duchess of Sommerset one as ill-Natured as himself he first made use of the Protectour to destroy the Admiral and after served himself by some Lords of the Court for humbling the Lord Protectour to an equal Level with the rest of the Council Finding by this Experiment how easie a thing it was to serve his Turn by them on all other Occasions he drew unto himself the managing of all Affairs none being so hardy as to question any of his Actions and much less to cross them But not content with being looked on as the Chief in Power he is resolved to make himself the first in Place thinking no private Greatness to be answerable to so great a Merit as he had fancied in himself Thus busying his unquiet thoughts upon new Designs and passing from one imagination to another he fixed at last upon a purpose of Husbanding the Opportunities to his best Advantage in transferring the Crown into his own Family which he thought Capable enough of the highest Honours For why said he within himself should not the Son of a Dudly being the more Noble House of the two be thought as Capable of the Imperial Crown of this Realm as the Son or Grand-Childe of a Seimour Though I pretend not to be born of the Race of Kings yet I may give a King to England of my Race and Progeny on as good ground as any which derive themselves from Owen Tudor the Ancestour of the Boy now reigning That Family pretended onely from a Daughter to the House of Sommerset and there are now some Daughters of the House of Suffolk which may pretend as much as she If by a Match into that House I can finde a way to bring the Crown into mine own I shall want no Presidents at home and finde many abroad Some Dangers may present themselves in the Pursuit of this Enterprise but Dangers are to be despised as in all great Actions so chiefly when a Crown is aimed at It is resolved that I will try my Fortune in it which if it prosper to my wish I shall live Triumphantly if I sink under the Attempt I shall perish Nobly Which being concluded and resolved on he first insinuates himself into the good affections of the Marquess of Dorset whom he assisteth in his Suit for the Title of Suffâ—lk which without him was not to be gained exalts himself to the like Glorious Title of Duke of Northumberland that he might stand on equal â—round with the proudest of them and in a word so cunningly prepareth his Toils for the Duke of Sommerset that at the last he fell into them never to be set free again untill Death released him all which Particulars have been at large laid down in the former History And this being done he suffered the young King to wear out all the following year the better to avoid all Popular suspition that His Uncle's Death was onely hastened to make way for His. And possible it is that he might have tired it out a little longer but for a smart Jest which He put upon this Ambiâ—ious Minister The King took great delight in his Bow and Arrows and shooting one day at the Butt as He used to do hit the very White Well aimed my Liege said Merrily the Mighty Duke But you aimed better said the King when you shot off the head of My Vncle Sommerset which words so stang the Conscience of the guilty man that he could not think himself secure but by accelerating his Design for settling the Crown upon the Head of one of his Children according to the Plot which he had hammered in the Forge of his Wretched Brain For now the King beginning sensibly to decay he takes his time to enter into Communication with the Duke of Suffolk about a Marriage to be made betwixt the Lord Guilford Dudly his fourth Son and the Lady Jane Gray the Duke's eldest Daughter which with the rest of the Marriages before-mentioned being propounded and concluded for he was grown too great and known to be too dangerous to be denied in any reasonable Suit a day was set in which this Excellent Lady was to be transplanted into the Family of the Dudlies A day which she expected with a Virgin Modesty and after the Solemnity of the Nuptial Rites delivers Her pure Body to the chast Embraces of a Vertuous Conâ—ort who of all Dudlie's Brood had nothing of the Father in him All which succeeding to his wish he sets himself to the accomplishing of that Project which he had long before designed The King was now grown weak in Body and decayed in Spirits and in that weak Estate he takes his Opportunities to inculcate to Him what infinite Blessings had been derived from Him on this Church and Nation by the Blessed Reformation of Religion so happily began and brought to such Perfection by Him That it must therefore be His Care so to provide for the Continuance of those infinite Blessings that Posterity might enjoy the Benefit and Comfort of it which would gain Him a more pretious Memory amongst His Subjects then all His other Princely Virtues That nothing was more feared by all Sorts of People then that the Crown Imperial if it should please Almighty God to call Him to a Crown of Glâ—ry would fall upon the Head of the Lady Mary a Princess passionately affected to the Interess of the Church of Rome and one who by Her Marriage with some Potent Prince of that Religion might Captivate the Free-Born English Nation to a Foreign Servitude That both His Sisters being born of disputed Marriages and howsoever being but his half Sisters onely and by several Ventures could neither be Heirs to Him nor to
and specious overtures he was designed to encourage a Rebellion amongst the Papists as was thought by some or rather that the Queen was grown so confident of her own just Title and the affections of her people as not to be beholden to the Pope for a confirmation remains a matter undetermined by our best Historians How it succeeded with this Pope in another project for the reducing of this Kingdom under his command we shall see hereafter But all this while there was no care taken to suppress the practice of another Faction who secretly did as much endeavour the subverâ—ion of the English Lituâ—gy as the Pope seemed willing to confirm it For whilst the Prelates oâ— the Church and the other learned men before remembred bent all their forces toward the confuting of some Popish Errors another enemy appeared whâ—ch seemed not openly to aim at the Church's Doctrines but quarrelled rather at some Rites and Extrinsecalls of it Their purpose was to shew themselves so expert in the Art of War as to take in the Out-works of Religion first before they levelled there Artillery at the Fort it self The Schismaticks at Franckfort had no sooner heard of Queen Mary's death but they made what haste they could for England in hope of fishing better for themselves in a troubled water than a composed and quiet Current Followed not long after by the brethren of the Separation which retired from thence unto Geneva who having left some few behind to compleat their Notes upon the Bible and make up so many of the Psalms in English Meeter as had been left unfinished by Sâ—ernhold and Hopkins hastned as fast homewards as the others But notwithstanding all their haste they came not time enough to effect their purposes either in reference to the Liturgy or Episcopal Government on which the Queen had so resolved according to her own most excellent judgment that they were not able to prevail in either project It grieved them at the heart that their own Prayers might not be made the rule of Worship in their Congregations and that they might not Lord it here in their several Parishe as Calvin did in the Presbytery of the Church of Geneva Some friends they had abouâ— the Queen and Calvin was resolved to make use of all his power and credit both with her and Cecil as appears by his Letters unto both to advance their ends and he was seconded therein by Peter Martyr who thought his interest in England to be greater than Calvin's though his name was not so eminent in other places But the Queen had fixed her self on her resolution of keeping up the Church in such outward splendor as might make it every way considerable in the eye of the world so that they must have faith enough to remove a mountain before they could have hope enough to draw her to them When therefore they saw the Liturgy imposed by Act of Parliament and so many Episcopal Sees supplyed with able Pastors nothing seemed more expedieâ—t to them than to revive the quarrels raised in King Edward's time against Capps and Surplices and such particulars as had then been questioned in the publick Liturgy And herein they were seconded as before in King Edward's time by the same Peter Martyr as appears by his Letters to a nameless friend bearing date at Zarick on the 4th of November 1560. to which he added his dislike in another of his Letters to the same friend also touching the same and other points proposed unto him that is to say the Cap the Episcopal Habit the Patrimony of the Church the manner of proceeding to be held against Papists the Perambulation used in the Rogation weeks with many other points of the like condition in which his judgment was desired But these helps being too far off and not to be consulted with upon all inconveniencies without a greater loss of time than could consist with the impatiency of their desires they fell upon another project which promised them more hopes of setting up their Discipline and decrying the Liturgy their quarrells about Caps and Vestments Some friends they had about the Court as before was said and Gryâ—dal the new Bishop of London was known to have a great respect to the name of Calvin the business therefore is so ordered that by Calvin's Letters unto Gryndal and the friends they had about the Queen way should be given to such of the French Nation as had repaired hitâ— her to enjoy the freedom of their own Religion to have a Church unto themselves and in that Church not onely to erect the Genevian discipline but to set up a form of Prayer which should hold no conformity with the English Liturgy They could not but remember those many advantages which John Alasco and his Church of Strangers afforded to the Zuingiian Gospellers in the Reign of King Edward and they despaired not of the like nor of greater neither if a French Church were setled upon Caâ—vin's Principles in some part of London A Synagogue had been built for the use of the Jews Anno 1231. not far from the place in which now stands the Hall of the Merchant Taylors near the Royal Exchange But the Jews having removed themselves to some other place the Christians obtained that it should be dedicated to the blessed Virgin and by that name was given unto the Brotherhood of St. Anthony of Vienna by King Henry the 3d. After which time an Hospital was there founded by the name of St. Anthony consisting of a Master two Priests one School-master and twelve poor men Inlarged in the succeeding times by the addition of a fair Grammar-School and other publick Buildings for the use of the Brethren It was privileged by King Edward the 4th to have Priests Clerks Scholars poor men and Brethren of the same or Lay-men Quiristers Proctors Messengers Servants in houshold and other things whatsoever like unto the Prior and Covent of St. Anthonie of Vâ—enna c. and being so privileged it was annexed to the Collegiat Chapel of St. George in Windsor under whose Patronage it remained but muâ—h impoverished by the fraud and folly of one of its School-masters till the final dissolution of it amongst other Hospitals and Brotherhoods by King Edward the sixth so that being vested in the Crown and of no present use to the City it was no hard matter to obtain it for the use of the French as it still continueth And now again we have another Church in London as different from the Church of England in Government and forms of Worship and some Doctrinals also as that of John Alasco was in the Augustine Friers Not must we marvail if we find the like dangerous consequents to ensue upon it for what else is the setting up of a Presbytery in a Church founded and established by the Rules of Episcopacy than the erecting of a Commonwealth or popular Estate in the midst of a Monarchy Which Calvin well enough perceived and thereupon gave Gryndal thanks
for his favour in it of whom they after served themselves upon all occasions Upon the news of which success divers both French and Dutch repaired into England planting themselves in the Sea-towns and openly professing the Reformed Religion under which covert they disguised their several Heterodoxies and blasphemous Dotages some of them proving to be Anabaptists others infected with unfound opinions of as ill a nature but all endeavouring to disperse their Heretical Doctrines and by invenoming the good people amongst whom they lived to encrease their Sects Which being made known unto the Queen she presently commands them all by her Proclamation to depart the Kingdom whether they were Aliens or natural born English and not to stay above the tearm of twenty days upon pain of imprisonment and forfeiture or loss of all their goods Which Proclamation notwithstanding too many of them lurked in Engâ—and without fear of discovery especially after the erecting of so may French and Dutch Churches in the Maritime parts as at this time they did in London infecting the French and Dutch Churches there with some of their frenzies and occasioneâ— such disputes amongst them upon that account that Peâ—er Marâ—yr found it necessary to interpose his authority with them to the composing of those Heats and differences which had grown amongst them for which consult his Letter bearing date at Zurick on the 15th of February next following after the date of the said Proclamation and superscribed Unto the Church of Sâ—rangers in the City of London Now for the date of the said Proclamation it seemeth to have been about the 19th of September at which time it pleased the Queen to set forth another no less conducing to the honour than did the other to the preservation of the Churches purity She had given command by her Injunctions in the year foregoing for destroying and taking away all Shrines and coverings of Shrines all Tables Candlesticks Trindals and Rolls of Wax together with all Pictures Paintings and other monuments of â—eigned Miracles Pilgrimages Idolatry and Superstition so that there remain no memory of the same in walls glass-windows or else-where whether it were in Churches or mens private houses But some perverting rather than mistaking her intention in it guided by covetousness or over-ruled by some new fangle in Religion under colour of conforming to this command defaced all such Images of Christ and his Apostles all Paintings which presented any History of the holy Bible as they found in any windows of their Churches or Chapels They proceeded also to the breaking down of all Coats of Arms to the tearing off of all the Brasses on the Tombs and Monuments of the dead in which the figures of themselves their wives or children their Ancestors or their Arms had been reserved to posterity And being given to understand that Bells had been bapâ—ized in the times of Popery and that even the Churches themselves had been abused to Superstition and Idolatry their zeal transported them in fine to sell their Bells to turn the Steeples into Dove-coats and to rob the Churches of those sheets of Lead with which they were covered For the restraining of which Sacrilege and prophane abuses she gave command in her said Proclamation of the 19th of September That all manner of men should from thenceforth forbear the breaking or defacing of any parcel of any Monument or Tomb or Grave or other Inscription and Memory of any person deceased being in any manner of place Or to break any Image of Kings Princes or Nobles Estates of this Realm or of any other that have been in times past erected and set up for the onely memory of them to their posterity in common Churches and not for any Religious honor Or to break down or deface any Image in glass-windows in any Church without the consent of the Ordinary upon pain of being committed to the next Gaol without Bail or Mainprize and there to remain till the next comming of the Justices for Gaol-delivery and then to be further punished by Fine or Imprisonment besides the restitution or re-edification of the thing broken as to the said Justices shall seem meet and if need shall be to use the advice of her Majesties Council in her Star-chamber It was also signified in the said Proclamation That some Patrons of Churches and others who were possessed of Impropriations had prevailed with the Parson and Parishioners to take or throw down the Bells of Churches or Chapels and the Lead of the same and to convert the same to their private gain by which ensued not onely the spoil of the said Churches but even a slanderous desolation of the places of Prayer And thereupon it was commanded that no manner of person should from thenceforth take away any Bells or Lead off any Church or Chapel under pain of Imprisonment during her Majesties pleasure and such further Fine for the contempt as shall be thought meet With a charge given to all Bishops and other Ordinaries to enquire of all such contempts done from the beginning of her Majesties Reign and to enjoyn the persons offending to repair the same within a convenient time and of their doing therein to certifie the Privy Council or the Council in the Star-chamber that order may be taken therein And in persute of this most seasonable and religions Act she did not onely signe the said Proclamation one for all to authorise it for the Press as the custom is but signed them every one apart amounting to a very great number with her own Royal Hand that so it might be known rather for her own proper act than an act of the council With like care also she provided for the honor and prosperity of her estate in affairs Politick and Civil The monies of the Realm had been much debased by King Henry the 8th to the great disprofit of the Merchant and reproach of the Kingdom for which no remedy had been taken by her Brother or Sister though they had better opportunities and more advantages to go thorow with it But this brave Queen endeavouring nothing more than the restoring of her Kingdom to its antient splendor first caused all such base monies as were coined by any of her Predecessors to be decryed to a less value according to the fineness or alloy thereof and that being done by vertue of her Proclamation bearing date the 28th of September she caused all the said base monies so reduced to a lower value to be brought in to her Majesties Mint for which she gave them mony of the purest silver such as passed commonly by the name of Easterling or Sterling mony since which time no base mony hath been coyned in England but onely of pure Gold and Silver to pass for current in the same save that of late times in relation to the necessity of poor people a permission hath been given to the coyning of Farthings which no man can be forced to accept in satisfaction of a Rent or Debt which as it could
then being and therefore that he could not consent to the holding of a Convocation in that place without some Declaâ—ation to be made by the Archbishops Bishops that their holding the Convocation in the same should not be taken or intended for any violation of the rights privileges that belong'd unto it which was accordingly perform'd It was â—n the 19th day of January that these formalities were transacted at whâ—t time the Archbishops and Bishops having first had some secret communication amongst themselves about the Articles of Religion established in King 〈◊〉 time râ—quired the Prolocutor and six others of the Lower Hâ—use of Convocation to repair unto them By whom it was signified unto their Lordships that some of the Clergy had prepared certain Bills containing a specification of such matters as were conceived to be amiss in the state of the Church and that the Articles of Religion agreed upon in the Reign of King Edward the 6th had been delivered unto others to be considered of corrected and accommodated as they found it necessary Being encouraged in the last and furthered by the diligence of some of the Bishops who were employed in the same work the Articles were agreed upon publickly read before the Bishops in the Chapter-house of St. Paul on the 29th of the same month and by all of them subscribed with great unanimity The Prelates had observed some deviation from the Doctrine of King Edward's Reign which had been made by the Calviniâ—n on Zuinglian Gospellers in the Articles of Predestination Grace Free-will and final perseverance Nor could they but take notice with how little reverence the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administred and the Authority of the Church despised by too many of the same party also which they were willing to impute to the want of some known rule amongst them by which they were to regulate their judgments and conform their actions To which end it was thought expedient that the Book of Articles agreed upon in Convocation Anno 1552. should be revised and accommodated to the use of the Church the Queens leave being first obtained for their warrant in it In the managing of which great business I know not whether I should more admire their moderation or their wisdome Their wisdome eminent in not suffering any Outlandish Divine who might drive on a different interess from that of the Church either to vote amongst them or carry any stroke in their consultations Their moderation no less visible in declining all unnecessary determinations which rather tended to the multiplying of controversies and ingendring strifes than either unto edification or increase of piety So that they seemed to have proceeded by those very Rules which King James so much approved of in the conference at Hampton Court First in not separating further from the Church of Rome in points of Discipline or Doctrine than that Church had separated from what she was in her purest times Secondly in not stuffing the Book of Articles with all Conclusions Theological in which a latitude of judgement was to be allowed as far as it might be consistent with peace and charity and Thirdly in not thrusting into it every opinion or Position negative which might have made it somewhat like Mr. Craiges Confession in the Kirk of Scotland who with his I renounce and I abhor his detestations and abrenunciations did so amaze the simple people as the King observeth that not being able to conceive or understand all those points utterly gave over all and fell back to Popery or else remained in their former ignorance Upon which grounds as they omitted many whole Articles and qualified the expressions of some others in King Edward's book so were they generally very sparing in defining any thing which was meerly matter of moduliâ—y or de modo only As namely touching the manner of Christs presence in the Holy Eucharist the manner of effecting grace by the blessed Sacraments or of the operation of Gods grace in a mans conversion Which rules being carefully observed by all the Bishops on whose authority and consent the greatest part of the whole Work did seem to rest and all particulars agreed upon amongst themselves it was no wonder if they passed their Votes without contradiction But in taking the subscriptions of the lower house there appeared more difficulty For though they all testified their consent unto them on the said 29th of January either by words express or by saying nothing to the contrary which came all to oâ—e yet when subscription was required many of the Calvinians or Zuinglian-Gospellers possibly some also which enclined rather to their old Religion and who found themselves unsatisfied in some particulars had demurred upon it With this demur their Lordships are acquainted by the Prolocutor on the 5th of February By whom their Lordships were desired in the name of that House that such who had not hitherto subscribed the Articles might be ordered to subscribe in their own proper house or in the presence of their Lordships Which request being easily granted drew on the subscription of some others but so that many still remained in their first unwillingness An Order thereupon is made by their Lordships on the â—oth then following that the Prolocutor should return the names of all such persons who refused subscription to the end that such further course might be taken with them as to their Lordships should seem most fit After which we hear no news of the like complaints and informations which makes it probable if not concluded that they all subscribed And being thus subscribed by all they were soon after published both in English and Latine with this following Title that is to say Articles agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bishops of both Provinces and the whole Clergy in the Convocation holden at London in the year 1562. for the avoiding of diversities of opinions and establishing consent touching true Religion But what they were and wherein they agreed or differed with or from those established by King Edward the 6th shall be referred for the avoiding of all interruptions in the course of this History to a place more proper Nothing else brought to a conclusion by them but the Bill of Subsidy which having past that House was confirmed in Parliament Nothing else brought into conclusion though many things were had in deliberation On Friday the 5th of February the Bishops of Salisbury Exon St David's and Lichfield were appointed by the rest of the Prelates to examine a Catechism which it seems was presented to them But being by them remitted to the consideration of the lower house they were advertised by Day and Sampson on the 3d. of March that the said house unanimously had approved thereof And there it rested for that time and for ever after nothing being done in confirmation of it as a publick Doctrine by whomsoever it was written nor any further speech made of it in the time succeeding Which fortune also hapned to a Book of Discipline projected
amongst some of the Clergy and render'd to the Bishops by the Prolocutor and ten others of that House on the 26th of February To which some additionals being made by the first contrivers it was a second time tender'd to them by the Prolocutor in the name of the lower House of Convocation by whom it had been generally and unanimously recommended to them But the Bishops let this sleep also as they did the other More was it to the profit of the Clergy generally to make inquiry into certain Articles which by the Archbishop with the consent of all the rest of the Prelates were delivered in writing The Tenour of which Articles was 1. Whether if the Writ of Melius inquirendum be sent forth there be any likelyhood that it will return to the Queens profit 2. Whether some Benefices ratably be not less than they be already valued 3. That they enquire of the manner of dilapidations and other spoliations that they can remember to have passed upon their Livings and by whom 4. To signifie how they have been used for the levying of the arrerages of tenths and Subsidies and for how many years past 5. As also how many Benefices they find that are charged with pensions newly imposed to discharge the pensions of Religious persons 6. And lastly to certifie how many Benefices are vacant in every Diocess But what return was made upon these enquiries I find as little in the Acts of this Convocation as either in allowance of the Catechism or the Book of Discipline Religion and the State being thus fortified and secured in England it will not be amiss to see what they do in Scotland where the young Queen was graciously enclined to forget all injuries and grant more liberty to her subjects in the free exercising and enjoying of their own perswasions than she could gain unto her self For in a Parliament held in May within few months after the end of that in England the Act for oblivion formerly condescended to in the Treaty at Edenborough was confirmed and ratified but without reference to that Treaty the results whereof the Queen by no means would acknowledge to be good and valid And thereupon it was advised that the Lords should supplicate on their knees in the House of Parliament for the passing of it which was accordingly performed by them and vouchsafed by her There also past some other Acts of great advantage to the Church as affairs then stood that is to say one Act for the repairing and upholding of Parish Churches and the Church-yards of the same for burial of the dead Another against letting Parsonages Glebes or Houses into long Leases or Fee But this came somewhat of the latest a great part of the Tythes Houses and possessions which belonged to the Church having been formerly aliened or demised for a very long term by the Popish Clergy when they perceived they were not likely to enjoy them longer for themselves But on the other side no safety or protection could be found for her own Religion no not so much as in the Chapel-Royal or the Regal City In contempt whereof a force was violently committed in the month of August in the Chapel of the Palace of Holy Rood House the Whitehall of Edenborough where certain of the Queens servants were assembled for their own devotions the dores broke open some of the company haled to the next prison and the rest dispersed the Priest escaping with much difficulty by a private passage The Queen was then absent in the North but questioned Knox at her return as the cause of the uproar By which expostulation she got nothing from that fiery spirit but neglect and scorn Return we back again to France where we find some alternations of affairs between the French King and the Reingrave on the one side the English and confederate Princes on the other but so that fortune seemed most favourable to the English party The Church of Hattivil a neighbouring Village to Newhaven taken and garrison'd by the Reingrave but presently abandoned and repossessed by the English The Castle of Tankervile cunningly taken by the English and soon after regained by the Reingrave The City and Castle of Cane held with a strong Garison by the Marquiss d' Elbeuffe and besiâ— ged by the confederate forces both French and English and finally surrender'd to the Admiral Chastilion to the use of the Princes March the 2d After which followed the surrendry of Bayeulx Faleise St. Lods and divers other Towns and Castles The Town of Hareflew on the Seine gallantly taken by the help of the English of Newhaven on the 10th and garrison'd by such souldiers and inhabitants as was sent from thence Which fortunate successes so amazed the heads of the Guisian faction that they agreed unto an Edict of pacification by which the French Princes were restored to the Kings favor the Hugonots to the free exercise of their own Religion and all things setled for the present to their full contentment But they must buy this happiness by betraying the English whom they had brought into the Country and join their forces with the rest to drive them out of Newhaven if they would not yield it on demand Of this the Queen had secret notice and offereth by Throgmorton to deliver up Newhaven in exchange for Callis The French resolve to hold the one and recover the other so that new forces are sent over to make good the Town The French draw toward it in great numbers under the conduct of the Marshals of Brissack and Mont Morency followed not long after by the Constable himself with many other French Lords of the highest quality The siege growes close and the service very hot on both sides but the English had a fiercer enemy within the Town than any whom they found without The pesâ—ilence had got in amongst them and raged so terribly for the time that the living were scarce able to bury the dead And to compleat the miseries of the besieged the Prince of Conde and the Duke of Montpensier shewed themselves openly amongst the rest in the Camp of the enemies that the last act of the Tragedy might be plaid in their presence All things conspiring thus against them the English are necessitated to a capitulation by which they left the Town behind them on the 29th of July but carried the plague with them into England Which might by some be looked on as an argument of Gods displeasure on this Nation for giving aid unto the Rebels of a Christian Prince though masked with the vizard of Religion Passe we on further toward Trent where we find the Fathers in high displeasure against Queen Elizabeth exasperated by her aiding the French Hugonots against their King But more for passing the Statute above mentioned for punishing all those which countenanced and maintained the Popes authority within her dominions The Pope hereby so much incensed that he dispatched a Commission to the Fathers of Trent to proceed to an
man as might please her fancy and more secure her title to the Crown of England than any of the great Kings in Europe What then should hinder her from making up a mariage so agreeable to her so acceptable to the Catholick party in both Kingdoms and which she thought withall of so safe a condition as could create no new jealousies in the brest of Elizabeth But those of the Leicestrian faction conceived otherwise of it and had drawn most of the Court and Council to conceive so to For what could more secure the interess of the Queen of Scots than to corroborate her own Title with that of Darnly from which two what children soever should proceed they would draw to them many hearts in the Realm of England who now stood fair and faithful to their natural Queen In this great fear but made much greater of set purpose to create some trouble it was advised that the Queen should earnestly be intreated to think of mariage to the end that the succession might be setled in her own posterity that all Popish Justices whereof there were many at that time might be put out of Commission and none admitted to that office but such as were sincerely affected to the Reformed Religion that the old deprived Bishops which for the most part lived at liberty might be brought to a more close restraint for fear of hardning some in their errours and corrupting others with whom they had the freedom of conversation that a greater power might be conferred upon the English Bishops in the free exercise of their jurisdiction for suppressing all such Popish Books as were sent into England depriving the English Fugitives of all those Benefices in this Kingdom which hitherto they had retained and all this to be done without incurring the danger of a Premunire with which they were so often threatned by the common Lawyers It was advised also that for a counterpoise unto the Title of the Queen of Scots some countenance should be given to the House of Suffolk by shewing favour to the Earl of Hartford and the Lady Katherine and that to keep the ballance even with the Romish Catholicks some moderation should be used to such Protestant Ministers you may be sure the Earl of Leicester had a hand in this as hitherto had been opposiâ—e in external matters to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church here by Law established Nor was this mariage very pleasing to the Scots themselves the chief Lords of the Romish party who faithfully had adher'd to their natural Queen in all her former troubles conceived that some of them might be as capable of the Queens affections as a young Gentleman born in England and one that never had done any service which might enoble and prefer him before all the rest The Ministers exclaimed against it in their common preachings as if it were designed of purpose to destroy Religion and bring them under their old vassalage to the Church of Rome The Noble men and others of the Congregation who had sold themselves to Queen Elizabeth were governed wholly by her Counsels and put themselves into a posture of Arms to disturb the Maâ—ch the Edenburgers do the like but are quickly scatter'd and forc'd to submit themselves to their Queens good pleasure who was so bent upon her mariage with this young Nobleman that neither threatnings nor perswasions could divert her from it And thaâ— he might appear in some capacity fit for the mariage of a Queen she first confers upon him the Order of Knighthood and afterwards creats him Baron of Ardamanack Earl of Rosse and Duke of Rothsay which are the ordinary Titles of the eldest and second sons of Scotland In May she had convented the Estates of Scotland to whom she communicated her intention with the reasons of it Which by the greatest part of the Assembly seemed to be allowed of none but the Lord Ochiltrie opposing what the rest approved About the middle of July the mariage Rites were celebrated in the Royal Chapel by the Dean of Restairig and the next day the new Duke was proclaimed King by sound of Trumpet and declared to be associated with the Queen in the publick government The newes whereof being brought unto Queen Elizabeth she seemed more offended than indeed she was For well she knew that both the new King and the Earl his Father were men of plain and open natures not apt to entertain any dangerous counsels to the disturbance of her quiet that as long as she retained the Countesse with her who was the Mother of the one and the Wife of the other they seemed to stand bound to their good behaviour and durst act nothing to the prejudice of so dear a pledge but by the precipitation of this mariage the Queen of Scots had neither fortified her self in the love of her people nor in alliances abroad and that it could not otherwise be but some new troubles must break out in Scotland upon this occasion by which it would be made uncomfortable and inglorious to her And so it proved in the event for never was mariage more calamitous to the parties themselves or more dishonourable to that Nation or finally more scandalous to both Religions in nothing fortunate but in the birth of James the 6th born in the Palace of Edenborough on the 19th of July Anno 1566. solemnly Crowned King of the Scots on the same day of the Month Anno 1567. and joyfully received to the Crown of England on the 14th of March Anno 1602. In greater glory and felicity reigned the Queen of England Whose praise resounding in all Kingdoms of the North and West invited Caecille sister to the King of Sweden and wife of Christopher Marquisse of Baden to undertake a tedious journey both by land and sea from the furthest places of the North to see the splendor of her Court and observe the prudence of her Government Landing at Dover in the beginning of September they were there received by the Lord Cobham with a goodly train of Knights and Gentlemen at Canterbury by the Lady Cobham with the like honourable train of Ladies and Gentlewomen at Gravesend by the Lord Hunsdon with the band of Pensioners at London on the 11th of September by the Earl of Sussex and his Countesse who waited on them to the Lodging appointed for them Scaâ—â—e had she rested there four dayes when she fell into a new travel of which she was happily delivered by the birth of a son whom the Queen Christned in her own person by the name of Edwardus Fortunatus the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Duke of Norfolk being Sureties with her at the Font. She called him Edward with relation to the King her brother whose memory she dearly loved and Fortunatus in regard that he came so luckily into the world when his Mother after a most painful pilgrimage was safely come to pay her Devotions at that Shrine which she so much honoured Having remained here till the April
they saâ—e in sides or lay on the ground or fell prostrate or sung Te Deum or looked toward the South or did wear Copes of Tissâ—e or Velvet with a thousand more such questions p. 446. Whereas the Church of God so well ordered with excellent men of learning and godlinesse is constrained to suffer Coblers Weavers Tinkers Tanners Cardmakers â—apsters Fidlers Gaolers and other of like profession not only to enter into disputing with her but also to climb up into Pulpits and to keep the place of Priests and Ministers c. p. 2. Or that any Bagpipers Horse coursers Jaylers or Ale basters were admitted then into the Clergy without good and long tryal of their conversation p. 162. Or that any Bishop then did swear by his honour when in his visitation abroad in the Country he would warrant his promise to some poor prisoner Priest under him or not satisfied with the prisoning of his adversary did cry out and call upon the Prince not disposed that way to put them to most cruel deaths or refused to wear a white Rochet or to be distinguished from the Laity by some honest Priests apparel p. 162. or gathered a Benevolence of his Clergy to set him up in his houshold p. 163. Or that the Communion Table if any then were was removable up and down hither and thither and brought at any time to the lower parts of the Church there to execute the Lords Supper or that any Communion was said on Good Friday or that the Sacrament was ministred then sometimes in loaf Bread sometimes in Wafers and those rather without the name of Jesus or the sign of the Crosse than with it or that at the Communion time the Minister should wear a Cope and at all other Service a Surplice only or as at some places it is used nothing at all besides his common apparel or that they used a common and prophane cup at the Communion and not a consecrated and hallowed vessel p. 162 163. Or that a solemn curse should be used on Aâ—h Wednesday or that a Procession about the fields was used in the Rogation week rather thereby to know the bounds and borders of every Parish than to move God to mercy and shew mens hearts to devotion or that the man should put the Wedding ring upon the fourth finger of the left hand of the Women and not on the right as hath been many hundred years continued p. 163. Or that the resiâ—ue of the Sacrament unreceived was taken of the Priest or of the Parish Clerk to spread their young childrens butter thereupon or to serve their own tooth with it at their homely table or that it was lawful then to have but one Communion in one Church in one day p. 164. or that the Lent or Friday was to be fasted for civil policy not for any devotion p. 165. or that the Lay people communicating did take the cup at one another hands and not at the Priests p. 166. Or that any Bishop then threw down the Images of Christ and his Saints and set up their own their wives and their childrens pictures in their Chambers and Parlours p. 164. or that being a virgin at the taking of his Office did afterwards yet commendably take a wife unto him p. 165. or that was married on Ash Wednesday or that preached it to be all one to pray on a dunghil and in a Church or that any Fryer of 60 years obteining afterwards the room of a Bishop married a young woman of nineteen years c p. 166. Thus have we seen the Church established on a sure foundation the Doctrine built upon the Prophers and Apostles according to the explication of the ancient Fathers the Government truly Apostolical and in all essential parts thereof of Divine institution the Liturgy an extract of the Primitive forms the Ceremonies few but necessary and such as tended only to the preservation of decency and increase of piety And we have seen the first Essays of the Puritan faction beginning low at Caps and Surplices and Episcopal habits but aiming at the highest points the alteration of the Government both in Church and State the adulterating of the Doctrine and the subversion of the Liturgy and form of worship here by Law established But the discovery of those dangerous Doctrines and those secret Plots and open practises by which they did not onely break down the roofe and walls of this goodly building but digged up the foundation of it will better fall within the compasse of a Presbyterian or Acrian History for carring on of whose designes since the dayes of Calvin they have most miserably imbroyled all the Estates and Kingdomes of these parts of Christendome the Realmes and Churches of Great Brittaine more than all the rest Let it suffice me for the present if I have set the Church on its proper bottom and shewed her to the world in her Primative lustre that we may see how strangely she hath been unsetled how monstruously disfigured by unquiet men whose interess is as incompatible with the rights of Monarchy as with distinction of apparrell the Government of Bishops all set formes of Prayer and whatsoever also they contend against And therefore heare I will conclude my History of the Reformation as not being willing to look further into those disturbances the lamentable effects whereof wee feele to this very day AN APPENDIX To the former BOOK CONTAINING 1. The Articles of Religion agreed upon in Convocation Anno 1562. compared with those which had been made and published in the Reign of King Edward the 6 th Anno 1552. 2. Notes on the former Articles concerning the Particulars in which they differed and the reasons of it A PREFACE to the following ARTICLES THe Lutherans having published that famous Confession of their faith which takes name from Ausbâ—rge at which City it was tendered to the consideration of Charls the 5th and the Estates of the Empire there assembled Anno 1530. In tract of time all other Protestant and Reformed Churches followed that example And this they did partly to have a constant Rule a mongst themselves by which all private persons were to frame their judgments and pâ—rtly to declare that consent and harmony which was betwixt them and the rest of those National Churches which had made an open separation from the Popes of Rome Upon which grounds the Prelates of the Church of England having concurred with the godly desires of King Edward the sixth for framing one uniform Order to be used in God's publick Worship and publish ing certain pious and profitable Sermons in the English Toung for the instruction of the people found a necessity of holding forth some publick Rule to testifie as well their Orthodoxie in some points of Doctrine as their abhorrency from the corruptions of the Church of Rome and the extravagancies of the Anabaptists and other Sectaries This gave the first occasion to the Articles of Religion published in the Reign of King Edward the sixth