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" horting, they reduced them to the things that were right; " unless by priestly living they provoked the people to imi- " tate them, he saw no hope of repentance left. And this " he bespake his fathers and brethren the more diligently " to do, because the Holy Ghost had made them shepherds " of his flock. That theirs was not a trivial function, nor " committed to them by man, but by the good and great " God called to this office ; and therefore called, not to be " lazy, not to indulge to pleasures, but to rule the Church. " And this was the office of a ruler, to be watchful, to take " pains, to be industrious, and to instruct ; not to be idle " and addicted to pleasure. 1 ''
serable condition, and therefore exhorted the Bishops and Priests to set to their hands to restore it. " That they " should build up the tabernacle of God, and raise up " again the city of David, which was fallen down ; fill " up the breaches of her walls, and repair the ruins. " For the heathens, as he said, were come into God's in- " heritance ; they had polluted his holy temple ; they " made Jerusalem an orchard, nay, a stable. The vine- " yard of the Lord brought out of Egypt, all that went by " plucked off her grapes ; the boar out of the wood rooted " it up, and every thing that was wild devoured it. The " city that was full of people, sat alone ; the Queen of the " nations sat as a widow; the Princess of the provinces was " put under tribute : she lamented sorely in the night, and " the tears ran down her cheeks; there was none to comfort UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 65 " her of all those that were dear to her. All her friends de- CHAP. " spised her, and became her enemies. All her persecutors '__ " apprehended her in the midst of her straits. The paths AnQ0 1553 « " of Sion lamented, because there was none that came to " the solemnity. All her gates were destroyed ; her priests " groaned; her virgins were in vile clothing; and she, being " oppressed with bitterness, had capital enemies. Her ad- " versaries became rich, because the Lord spake concerning " her for the multitude of her iniquities." [Which words are borrowed from the Psalmist and the Prophet Jeremy, to express the sad state of the Jews, under the havoc the Babylonians made of that church and nation ; as though the Church of England, reformed and restored under good King Edward from the old papal corruptions and abomina- tions, had been in the same case.] " And then he called " upon the honourable Lords, his reverend fathers and " brethren, to comfort this Church thus miserably afflicted, " to rescue it so shaken, to heal it so wounded, to adorn it " so foul and squalid." In the first session of this Convocation, all that was done, Weston besides the sermon beforesaid, was, that the Bishops, by the p ^ "^ or mouth of Bonner Bishop of London, did admonish the Lower House to choose a referendary, or prolocutor, and so adjourn- ed. Dr. Hugh Weston, Dean of Westminster, (that had some impediment in his speech, but otherwise a bold man, and that had never complied in the last reign, and in great favour with the Queen,) being elected by them for that of- fice, was the next session presented to the Bishops by William By the Py, Dean of Chichester, and John Wimsley, Archdeacon cllichester . of London, both making their speeches. The Dean of Chi- 43 chester mentioned, " how a consultation was taken in hand " by them, de rep. Christiana instauranda ; i. e. of re~ " storing the Christian state ; which, as in time past, hav- " ing been fortified with most sacred discipline, it brought " with it a most happy state of all things : so that being " now fallen into ruin, and by certain degrees overthrown a at last, even to the very foundations, he thought it not " enough to assert and bring in again the ancient and or-
66 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP. " thodox doctrine of the Church, confirmed by the testi- IV. £ " mony of ancient canons and learned fathers, unless they Anno 1553." used all their endeavours, that the old and now corrupted " discipline of the Church, might regain in all things its ef- " ficacy and strength. For it could never come to pass, that " the Church should enjoy her entire honour and esteem, " if they of the Clergy, through ambition, (as happened of " late years,) should basely serve some men's insatiable co- " vetousness ; or if, while some sowed tares and the plague " of heresy, they of the Clergy remained idle and inactive, " as though they were fast asleep; or, lastly, as a great " many had a long time done, indulged to their carnal plea- " sures and concupiscence. In so great a difficulty, the " prudence of the reverend fathers knew, as well from the " Apostles, as by the most ancient custom of the Church, no " way was so effectual and seasonable, expedite and certain, " as the authority of councils and synods. In which, for " the more orderly and quiet proceeding, and for the pre- " venting a confused noise of words, it was necessary, that " some one should be chosen as a moderator. And so the " Bishops, he said, had directed them to do in their present " synod. That they had therefore chosen one, whom his " deep knowledge of the holy Scriptures had commended to " them, and so had his singular experience of things, his " prudence and wisdom, and his pious and flowing elocu- " tion. But though these were great gifts of God, he would " say with St. Paul, they should little avail, unless there " were accompanying also (as there was in him) a great "¦ charity, a steady constancy, and an unshaken persever- " ance in bearing witness to the truth. And that when " many foully complied, he, of a few, persisted, integer et " pu?-us, pure and undefiled ; whom neither the glory nor " the baits of those things which the world admired could " bring into the net, as it did many others: as neither could " affrightments nor threats, which so much terrified the " mean-spirited. Nay, that as the palm, according to Pliny, " doth, as it were, gather strength against the weights that " hang upon it, so he above measure provoked with the spite
UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 67 " of many, was so far from sinking under it, that by how CHAP. " much the more they assaulted him, so much the more he "contemned them. He forbore, he said, to mention this Anno 1553. " man's endowments of nature and study, lest he might " seem to flatter ; and so desired the Bishops 1 approbation " of him." And this was the sum of his speech.
port: "That whereas they, the reverend fathers, by the L^j° n " " Bishop of London, had, according to custom, enjoined " them to meet together, and there to treat and conclude " upon the choice of a referendary, which they commonly " called a prolocutor, who might supply their places, [that " were of the Lower House of Convocation,] and carry their " minds and wills to their fatherhoods, [of the Upper " House,] they had accordingly obeyed their commands, 44 " and he [Wimsley] had been by the rest appointed to de- " clare to their Lordships what they had done : which was " thus, in short. That in their company there were, he " thanked God, many excellent persons, for curious wits, " deep learning, admirable eloquence, singular experience " and dexterity, and all kind of virtue ; the plenty whereof " did, at first, make some difficulty in their choice. As he " that should come into a very pleasant field abounding in " various flowers, with a design to make a garland, would " be at a stand for a while what flowers to gather : so they, " while for a time they weighed the wit of one, the learning " of another, the virtues of all, and while they admired " and loved all, they could scarce perform their business. " And no wonder, since there was so great a number of " them, that unless one only had been to be chosen, they " were all most worthy of it. But since one only must be " chosen, they made choice of one whom they certainly " knew the Bishops would approve by their votes. For he " was wonderfully and notably prudent, of much quickness " and dexterity, most^ commendable for his learning and " eloquence, and famous for all virtues. And that the name " of Weston was renowned through all Britain. And him, " therefore, they recommended to their Lordships, to be f 2 68 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP. " approved by their authority and judgment." And so he ' ended. Anno 1553. Weston being accepted, he proceeded to make his harangue. The pro- K \yh erem h e disabled himself, and preferred the rest of the
UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 69 " they had not seen her most constant in the greatest diffi- CHAP. culties, in great matters bold, and most diligent in the. " least. What more happy presage or omen of the Church's Ann0 1353 - " being restored to her native splendour and purity could " be shewn, than that it happened to the Queen, by some " kind of happy fate, to be crowned on that very day [viz. " Octob. 1.] which was wont to be set apart to the dedica- " tion of churches? That she so earnestly set upon the re- " storing and purging the religion of the temple, as though " she were born or given for this thing alone : that to this " she so diligently devoted herself, that most deservedly she " might equal, if not surpass, all the most pious emperors. " The holy Emperor Theodosius thought nothing to be " done to beat down the heretics sooner, than to fly to the " ancient doctors of the Church, who had flourished before " the division : and so did the Queen think and command " in those her first attempts in purging the Lord's vineyard. " Theodosius the Emperor was wont to pray, that God " would work together with him, among those differences of " opinions, to choose the truth. And all know, but they " that know not the Queen, how ardently, day and night, " she solicited God, that all, especially they that were " English, whom she governed, might acknowledge the " truth of the Catholic faith, and being acknowledged, to " love and embrace it. " Next, he made mention of the Emperor Constantine, " that most constant assertor of religion, who calling all the u Bishops to Nice, did there maintain them at his own " charge, and shewed such great reverence towards the " heads of the Church, that he sat not in a throne adorned " with gold and gems, but in a seat less than others sat " upon, placed in the midst of the Bishops, as it were at " their feet. And the Queen, adorned with the gifts of " God, as the heaven with stars, with the like or greater " reverence did respect the Bishops and all the Clergy. " Jovinianus was praised, that he asked Athanasius to give " him in writing a perfect scheme of divine doctrines : how " much more did the Queen's name deserve eternal honour,
70 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP. " who had called together many Athanasius's from all cor- ners of the kingdom : and being called together, did ad- Anno 1553. a nionish and command them to make up, as well in speak- " ing as in writing, the Catholic faith, in miserable manner " rent and torn ; and when they should have thus mended " and restored it, to defend and cherish it ! Jovinianus, " when he entered into the territories of the empire, first " made a law, that the Catholic Bishops that were banished H should return home ; and that the churches should be re- " stored to them, who had inviolably kept the faith. And " so the good Queen brought you, the celebrated prelates " of England, thrown out of your sees into nasty prisons, " and restored you to your own churches, with the mighty " applause of the people. Most blessed England, that hath " such Bishops ! And most blessed, you prelates, to whom " it hath been given, not only to believe in him, but to suf- " fer for his sake ! " Hear, you venerable Bishops, the holy Bishop Chryso- " stom : hear, you imprisoned Bishops, an imprisoned Bi- " shop, Great is the dignity to be bound for Christ, greater " than to reign, or to be consul, &c. Blessed are you for a " prison, for chains, for bonds : blessed, I say, and thrice " blessed ; yea, oftener. You have reconciled to you the " whole world. Those that are a great way off, you have 46 " made your friends. Your excellent actions, your forti- " tude, your constant judgment, are reported every where, " by land and sea. A judgment-seat, which to some is ter- " rible, affrighted you not; no, not the executioner, the " multiplying of torments, threatenings that brought innu- " merable deaths, nor the judge that breathed fire out of " his mouth ; not the adversaries who gnashed their teeth, " and used many other ways of insulting over you ; not so " many calumnies, nor the most impudent accusations, nor " death daily set before your eyes : but rather, all these " yielded you ample and sufficient matter of consolation." [Oh ! the confident face of this man, to tell to the Bishops which they knew to be false, only to flatter them, when their lives were never in the least danger, nor so much as
UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 71 called in question ; and their imprisonment an easy re- C H A P. straint! But what direful expressions are here used ! that had not every one known the gentle and kind dealing with Al > n <> 1553. these Bishops, one would have thought, that they had en- dured all the severest usage that ever the poor Protestants suffered a little after at their hands.] He goes on : " Ye " are not yet beheaded with John the Baptist, but yet have " suffered far more bitterly : for it is not one and the same " thing, in a short time to lose the head, and for a long " while to struggle with such dolors, terrors, threats, bonds, " carryings away, rapines of goods, hands of executioners, " impudent tongues of sycophants, reproaches, jests, and " taunts." After this, he comes " to beseech the Bishops, in the " name of the synod, that the ancient dignity and authority " of the Clergy of England might, at last, be vindicated " and restored to that famous company of learned men " there assembled. For why were the deans, the arch- " deacons, the divines, the lawyers, men that had their " senses exercised in the Scriptures, and meditated in God's " law all their life, summoned from all parts of the king- " dom, if their suffrages in their own convocation were of " no weight? Why did they there lose their labour? Why " were they there, as so many shadows or spectres? For all " things had been [before] done and transacted without " their counsel or consent; but how happily and piously, the " issue would shew. And that as to the Book [of Common " Prayer] stuffed with blasphemies, stored with errors, " which, under the name of religion, took away religion, " diminishing the sacraments, condemned the whole world ; " to the obtruding this book upon all, they [the convoca- " tion of the Clergy] never gave their consent ; and, for " which, they did now congratulate themselves." The whole oration of this prolocutor, whereof these are some of the chief lines, I think, ought not, for divers reasons, to be lost; and therefore have put it into the Catalogue. Num.vm.
ing, " He could not but much approve of all their doings, speech to F 4, the Clergy. 72 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP. " and praise their wits and their honesty: that they were " men endued with prudence and sharpness, and were come Anno 1553." together, not as many were wont to do, in a negligent " manner, and in such sprinkling, as though they cared not " whether they appeared or no, but with unanimous hearts; " which was a step to an happy performance of the best ac- " tions : that they were not carried away with partiality, nor " indulged to any private affection, which was a great hin- " derance to public actions ; but were led with honest rea- " sons, and set before their eyes that which was just, that 47 " which was right, pious, good, and that the public good : " that they were men that prudently and seriously con- " sidered, not that which was agreeable to their pleasure or " ambition, but what might profit the Christian common- " wealth : and that they had chosen a man so learned, so " ingenious, so eloquent, so catholic, so good, and, in a " word, so worthy all praise, and so acceptable to all de- " grees, that what could they expect less, but great thanks " from the Bishops, and commendations from all the Clergy " and people, whom they had done such a good turn unto? " and from God, whom by that act they had honoured, " that great reward which was wont to be given to those " that did good ? " That by the choice of this their referendary, this profit " would accrue to them, that, according to his goodness and " prudence, he would suggest to them nothing but what " should be wholesome and very pious ; and whatsoever he " should suggest, he would happily handle, according to his " candour, and the notable dexterity of his wit. And, " lastly, according to the grace and favour he had with the " Queen, he would put a speedy and fruitful conclusion to " what should be treated.
" ferendary, and so to handle and despatch what they should " think fit and necessary to be taken in hand, that all might " be brought to a commendable end. Wherein there was " no doubt to be made, but they should have the reverend " the Bishops favourable to them. For they, according to UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 73 " their benevolence and love to them, [the inferior Clergy,] CHAP. " according to their piety towards God and Christian reli- " gion, and their charity towards the commonwealth, would Anno J 553. " diligently, by their whole labour and authority, promote, " help, and assist their endeavours and studies : which he " himself, in the rest of the Bishops 1 names, did in good " earnest promise and assure them." In this synod there was great stir to restore the aban- Four points doned doctrines again, and especially those of the mass: yet t h e B ish0 p S . some few learned and good men of the Reformation here shewed themselves, that tightly disputed these points with them: viz. Philpot, Haddon, Aylmer, and one or two more, whose disputations may be read in Mr. Fox. At last, these four points were defined by the Upper House, as I tran- scribed them out of a record of this Convocation, which Archbishop Parker, as it seems, communicated to Mr. Fox: to be sure, the paper was in the possession of the said Arch- bishop, on which are inserted these words by his own hand, H(Bc in synodo Episcoporum. De Sacramento Altar is. In sacramento altaris rite administrato docemur, ex ver- Foxii MSS. bis Christi post consecrationem sub speciebus panis et vini aqua mixti, veram et realem corporis et sanguinis Domini substantiam praesentem esse, et contineri. Et quoniam jam Christus dividi non potest, aut sanguis ejus a carne separari, quia amplius non moritur; ideo, credimus sub alterutra specie Christum integrum Deum et hominem contineri, et sub una specie tantum a fidelibus, quantum sub utraque48 sumi. Et, ideo, laudabilem consuetudinem communicandi laicos et clericos, non conficientes sub una specie ab Ecclesia magnis rationibus introductam, et hactenus diutissime ob- Yüklə 12,09 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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