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' bare to his man's wife, that he had them both dwelling 1 with him in his own vicarage, she being both young, fair, ' and newly married, that either the voice of the parish ' lied, or else he loved her more than enough. But of such UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 219 covered eautelty, being taken for good Catholic chastity, CHAP. I have not to deal, referring that to Him, which once, I XV1, " trust, shall purge the Church of all such cloaked hypo- Anoo 1554. " crisy." And thus far of the man ; now to the matter.
" appointed by the Bishop to preach in the church of Dun-^ " mow. For it was not meet nor seemble that the Bishop, " being occupied with other weightier affairs, and of more " importance, should debase himself to such petit functions " of preaching, but to commit them rather to other inferior " substitutes. Thus the Suffragan, at the Bishop's assign- " ment, upstert to the pulpit, with no small expectation of " some great account of learning to be looked for at his " hands. The theme which he took was, Tu es Petrus, et " super hanc petram cedificabo ecclesiam meant, &c. Upon " which ground, his intent being to advance and extol the " high preeminence of St. Peter's excellency, he waded so " far, as himself knew not where he was, nor any man else " understood whither he would. So deep was he drowned " in the profoundness of that divinity, that the more he " strove to get out of the labyrinth, the further he wound " himself in that subtile maze : so far had he overreached " his key, that he was gone clean beyond Ela, and almost " beyond himself. So that where the drift of his sermon " was, if he could have brought it out, to prove the stability " of St. Peter, and so successively of the Pope's seat, sud- " denly he slipped into the weakness of St. Peter, and of " all mankind, reciting this text, Antequam gallus cantet, " ter me negabis, &c. Before the cock crow, thou shalt " deny me thrice, &c. Meaning belike, by the fall of Peter, " to excuse his own weakness, and of all Adam's children, " if he could well have discharged the matter. " These two contraries standing so disjointly, were more " than a wonder to the audience, and no less trouble also to " the preacher himself; who still dwelling in this fruitless " babble, and, as you would say, hanging still upon a note, " might not well tell how to wind himself out. All this " while the Bishop was disquieted not a little, and stood 220 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP. " upon thorns; for he made faces, his elbow itched, and so j__ " hard was his cushion whereon he sat, that many times Anno 1554. " during the sermon he stood up, looking towards the Suf- " fragan, giving signs, and such signs as almost had speak- " ing, to proceed to the full event of his caus« in hand : " which was, as he looked for, either to establish the usurp- " ed seat of Rome, or else to maintain the Altar-God. For " in these two consisted the chief scope of all that visitation- " But my Lord's Suffragan either could not or would not " take up his meaning. 1 ' Bp. Gardi- Thus did Boner act his part for the Catholic cause. If "rders^or we l°°k over *-° ^ e other zealous Roman Bishop, he, I Cambridge, mean, of Winchester, we shall find him not less busy, as in other respects, so for the reforming the University of Cam- bridge, whereof he was Chancellor. But in October, or thereabouts, he sent Christopherson, now master of Trinity college, with divers orders, and especially for the observa- tion of three articles, which it seems were not so exactly re- garded before. I. That every scholar should wear his apparel according to his degree in the schools. 140 II. Touching the pronunciation of the Greek tongue. In which, no question, the University followed Sir John Cheke's reformed and correct way of reading and sounding- it ; though this Gardiner, their chancellor, in King Henry's days, had sent a peremptory order forbidding it. But he being under a cloud in the reign of King Edward, Cheke's way prevailed again. And so now it was to be forbidden again.
style of the King and Queen in their sermons.
the University. Some were thrust out of their fellowships ; some miserably handled. Four and twenty places in St. John's college became vacant, and others more ignorant put in their rooms. Visitors at At this time were visitors at Oxford too ; where many ° xfor ' were deprived. Then Dr. Tresham, a canon of Christ's
UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 221 Church, called all the students of that college together, and CHAP, in an oration persuaded them to receive the mass. He had XVL got a great many fine copes of the Queen for that college, Anno 1554. intended at first for the use of Windsor. He also got them our Lady bell of Bampton ; or at least so he promised them to do. And then he said, they should have the sweet- est ring of bells in the realm. Goodly reasons to sway them to Popery ! CHAP. XVII. The professors of the Gospel, clergy and laity, under per- secution. Their benefactors. Some account of them. JDUT now to look a little back towards the beginning; of ah the re- f rl h' this year. In order to the restoring and establishing the'^Tand' Romish religion, it was thought convenient to remove out preachers of the way the reformed bishops and clergy; which the rigorous courses they took effectually brought to pass : clap- ping up all of the most note or eminency upon some pre- tence or other, either that they preached without licence, or owed the Queen money for first-fruits or tenths, or used King Edward's Service-Book, and the like: so that the Tower, the Fleet, the Marshalsea, the King's Bench, New- gate, and the two Counters were full of them. But that it might be known (whatever of heresy or unsound doctrine was laid to their charge) that they were orthodox and sound in faith, and what the opinions in truth were for which they lay in prison ; and also, that it might appear that there was an unity of doctrine among these professors ; therefore they caused a certain confession of faith to be written and published abroad ; which the chief bishops and preachers, then living, and under confinement, subscribed their names unto, and made a public challenge to maintain the same by dispute or writing: which, among other excellent records, is preserved by Mr. Fox hi his Acts ; and which I have transferred a copy of in my Catalogue, as very well worthy n». XVII. to be perused by such as desire to be thereby informed in
222 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP, the history of these persecutions. But to give here a brief account of it : Anno 1554. r jJhe confession consisted of eight articles ; 141 j »phat t ] iey believed all the canonical books of Scripture Their con- ,^-, n , i i i • i i • j ¦ fession. to be God s very word, and that it was to be the judge in all controversies of faith. II. That they believed the Catholic Church, as an obe- dient spouse, followed the doctrines of this book. And therefore she was to be heard accordingly.
forth in the Apostles' Creed, and in the symbols of the Councils of Nice, Constantinople, Ephesus, Chalcedon, and Toletum ; and of Athanasius, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Da- masus, which was about the year 376.
only of God's mercy in Jesus Christ; and that it was per- ceived and had by none but by faith only: which faith was not an opinion, but a certain persuasion wrought by the Holy Ghost, whereby the mind is illuminated, and the heart suppled to submit to, and obey the will of, God ; and so sheweth forth an inherent righteousness.
to be according to the word of God : and that therefore all things done in the congregation ought to be done in a tongue that may most edify ; not in Latin, not understood by the people.
therefore they disallowed invocation of saints. VII. That as a man departs this life, so he shall be judged at the last day, and entereth into the state of the blessed for ever, or the damned for ever: and therefore that he is past all help, or needs no help. Therefore pur- gatory, masses, &c. are the doctrine of Antichrist.
Lord's supper, ought to be ministered according to the in- stitution of Christ. Therefore they held, that the mutila- tion of the sacrament, and the doctrine of transubstantia- tion, and the adoration of the bread, &c. is Antichristian.
UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 223 This confession was signed, May 8, by Farrar, Hoper, Co- CHAP, verdale, bishops ; Rogers, Bradford, Philpot, Crome, Saun- ders, and others, eminent divines. Anno 1554. The prisoners in the King's Bench had tolerable fair The condi- usage, and favour sometimes shewn them. There was a *' oa °f t those in pleasant garden belonging thereunto, where they had li- the King's berty sometimes to walk. Upon which Philpot, in a letter enc ' to Careless, reflected when he was removed thence to the Bishop's Coal-house, one of the worst prisons in London : '•* This loathsome and horrible prison,' 1 said he, " is as plea- " sant to me as the walk in the garden of the King's Bench : " though my Lord's Coal-house be very black, yet it is " more to be desired of the faithful than the Queen's palace." They that were kept here in this prison of the King's Bench, had also liberty of meeting together for religious worship, where Philpot, or some other eminent and godly men, did use to preach to and exhort the rest : so that they were greatly confirmed and strengthened. " Blessed be the time," (writes Careless to Philpot on this account,) " that ever I " came to the King's Bench, to be joined in love and friend- " ship with such dear children of the Lord." Nor did they want any thing here, by means of liberal supplies of charity from well-affected citizens. " We are all cheerful and merry " in our cross, and do lack no necessaries, praised be God," said the same Careless. The reason of this favour to these 142 prisoners was chiefly because the officers secretly favoured the Gospel ; whom, I suppose, Philpot meant, when, in a letter to Careless, then lying in this prison, in the conclu- sion, he bade him salute his loving friends, Master Meryng, Master Crooch, with the rest, and especially Master Mar- shal (probably the knight-marshal, or his under-marshal) and his wife, with great thanks for the kindness shewed unto him. Those also in the Marshalsea had the favour And Mar- indulged them of meeting daily together, to join in the 511 ^ 56 *' English prayers. Thus Bradford once brake off a letter suddenly, because, as he wrote there, their common prayer time called him. The sustainers of these and other prisoners of the Gospel, Merchants of London.
224 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP, and of such as were fled abroad for religion, were not [ known, their names being studiously concealed, for their Anno 1554. safety, in those times. Yet some of them, who, by money, The con- c l t nes and provisions, administered unto their necessities, tnbutors to ' I ' them and were these ; whose names I have collected and set down flirted pro- here, in grateful and lasting memory of their good deeds : fessors. M r- Robert Harrington and Lucy his wife.
liams, his wife. Mr. Hurland and his wife. Richard Springham, John Abel, Richard Hills, •> Thomas ) „ r Eaton, or Heton, George J J Robert Parker and Anne his wife. Richard Chambers. John Mannyng. Robert Cole. John Lidley. The Lady Vane. Mrs. Wilkinson. Mrs. Warcup. Mrs. Elizabeth Brown. Mrs. Ann Hartlepole; who made some compliance afterwards. Sir William Of these, Sir William Fitz-Williams was knight-marshal Fitz-Wii- Q f thg jfrncfg Bench ; a good man, and a lover of the Gos- pel : to whom Bradford wrote a letter, and presented him with Bishop Ridley's disputation, which he translated from Rich. Hills, a Latin copy that Ridley himself had corrected. Concern- ing Richard Hills, I find that in the year 1548 he was liv- ing in Strasburgh ; and to him Archbishop Cranmer recom- mended Martin Bucer, to put him in a way of coming safe into England. One of this name, and, I suppose, the same, was master of the Merchant Taylors' company, and gave UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 225 500/. towards the purchase of an house, called the Manor CHAP. W 1 1 of the Rose, sometime belonging; to the Duke of Bucking- ' ' ham, for the building of a free-school. And there the great Anno 1554. school, commonly called the Merchant Taylors 1 school, is^o^-ate"'' now kept. Richard Chambers did, in King Edward's days, ward. expend great sums of his money in charity, which ran &™jj„Si n two streams ; one towards the supply of such as were stu- dents in the Universities, and the other towards other godly poor. For he was a great favourer of learning, and a friend to the oppressed. In the reign of that King, he visited both Cambridge and Oxford, allowing pensions to many hopeful young men there. At Oxford he afforded 61. a year to Mr. Jewel to buy divinity-books, and exhorted him to set his mind intensely upon that study. For he did not only relieve the wants of the needy, but greatly edified them by his counsel. And commonly when he was to dispose his 1 43 charity, he took a preacher with him, who instructed the receivers of his bounty, and admonished the students of their duty : which office Peter Martyr sometimes per- formed, and sometimes Jewel. And there is a Latin speech, » which Jewel made upon this occasion, extant in the life of Page 35. that learned man, writ by Dr. Humfrey. And the said Chambers, being afterwards an exile at Frankford, conti- nued his good deeds, in helping and succouring the stu- dents, and poorer sort of the English nation there. Thomas Thomas Heton, or Eaton, who had been extraordinary bountiful and compassionate to the exiles, while he had wealth, in Queen Elizabeth's time was reduced to want ; and he that had relieved others, now in his old age needed to be re- lieved himself. Tho. Sampson therefore, in the year 1573, wrote earnestly to Sir William Cecyl, Lord Burghley, and then Lord Treasurer, in his behalf, to move the Queen to allow him the transporting of some thousands of cloths without paying custom.
pellers that retired into Germany in these days for their consciences ; and, as it seems, kept house with four chil- dren, Anne and Cecilie, and two sons, the one named Went- VOL. III. Q 22G MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP, worth, (perhaps from the lord of that name, on whom Par- xvii .
Anno 1554. named, I make little question, because born a stranger and a pilgrim, as the Duchess of Suffolk her son, by Mr. Ber- tie, born in these days, obtained the like name ; and Sir Tho. Wroth had a son now born, he being an exile, whom he called Gerson, of the same import. This gentleman was very helpful to those of his godly countrymen among whom he dwelt; and particularly to Bartholomew Traheron, late dean of Chichester; who, in gratitude, dedicated to him and his wife (whom he styled exiles for Chris fs cause) his lectures that he read and printed there ; " inasmuch as the " bowels of the saints had been refreshed by them, and to " render this testimony of their singular godliness : praying " God Almighty to augment in them the knowledge of his " truth, and love of righteousness.*" He seemed a person, as of great piety, so of an inquisitive mind in the doctrines of religion. For when a certain gentleman, who had been an auditor at Traheron's lectures, censured some passages therein, as that he had said, that " it was God's will and or- " dinance that Adam should sin," speaking too irreverently of God, seeming to make God the author of sin, Parker pro- cured the same gentleman and Traheron to have a meeting, to debate this matter before him : which ended in an agree- merit upon the chief points that before were in controversy between them.
pious lady, and of large munificence: unto whom, out of great respect, were letters writ from Bradford, Philpot, Careless, Trahern, Rose, and others. She lived to the year 1568, and in Holborn departed this life; whose end was more like a sleep than death. She seems to have been Sir Ralph Vane's widow, who was beheaded with the Duke of
from Bishop Hoper, and two or three from Mr. Bradford, upon his receiving gifts from her : in one whereof he prayed God, " to recompense into her bosom all the good that ever UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 227 " she had done, to him especially, and lo many others, both CHAP. " in that time of trouble, and always heretofore." Mrs. XVI1, Warcup was a widow ; among other whose good deeds, this Anno 1554. was one, that she was instrumental in savins: the life f Mra -war- O cup. Jewel, that afterwards proved a great light to the English 144 Church. For when in the beginning of Queen Mary's reign, fleeing away from Oxon, being on foot, he was so tired and spent, that he laid himself down upon the ground, half dead ; then Augustin Bernher, that good man, by mere chance, or rather by great providence, met him in that forlorn condition, and setting him upon an horse, brought him to this lady, who refreshed and entertained him, and after conveyed him safe to London, whither he was going, in order to his flight beyond sea. Beside these helpers and concealers of ministers and other eminent professors, who supplied them with necessaries, or kept them privately in their houses, I trace two more out of Bradford's letters : the one was Mr. Coker, of Maiden Mr. Coker. in Essex, a man of some quality there : to whom the said Bradford wrote a letter, and therein begged him to find out some hole to hide John Serchfield for some time. The other was Mr. Richard Hopkins, who was sheriff of Coventry. Mr. Hop- This man was taken, and put into the prison of the Fleet. 1US ' The crime, as was conjectured, was for sending a New Tes- tament to a thief that was condemned. While he lay there, Bradford sent him a comfortable letter. After divers weeks 1 imprisonment, he got his liberty, and fled into Germany with his wife and eight children ; and was there a reliever of others.
who throughout this hard reign were very bountiful to the tn *" " !i s l on _° poor sufferers. In acknowledgment whereof, Careless, iners. the year 1556, wrote a letter of thanks to them, beginning thus : " When I had with myself well weighed and con- " sidered the great charge and burden that you have borne " and been at, not only with me, but also with many other " poor afflicted people of God, ever since the time that ty- " ranny last broke loose in this miserable land,'" &c.
228 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP. As the prisoners of Christ had these kind benefactors, so ' there were at hand to them trusty messengers, which were Anno 1554. a l mos t as needful as the other; by whom liberality and let- he" g a fitrth- ters ' aiK * otner things, were secretly conveyed to them, and fui messen- letters and messengers sent from them in durance to their friends abroad, or to the congregations, for the comforting, counselling, and strengthening of them. One of these their faithful servants was good Augustine Bernher, a Swiss by nation, if I mistake not, but that had been long Latymers servant, and who put out his sermons after his death, with his own preface before them. This man was excellently serviceable to the poor prisoners and martyrs, travelling continually from place to place, and from one prison to another, and, standing upon no pain or danger to do good offices for the poor professors. And when C ran mer,Latymer, and Ridley were prisoners at Oxon, he took a journey thither to them with relief, letters, and business. As for the wives and fatherless children of such as died for religion, he was' a kind of overseer to them. Robert Glover, in his last let- ter before his martyrdom to his wife and children, about 1556, advised them to flee, and to take Bernher's advice, Mart. Let- whom he called an angel of God: " God send thee a good ters, p. 543. « g U \fi e> anc j a g 00( j passage, if it be his will, out of this " idolatrous and bloody realm. As Christ committed his " mother to John, so I commit you in this world to the 145 "angel of God, Augustine Bernher. His advertisement " if you shall follow, I trust you shall not decline from the " fear of God." There is a remarkable passage related by Acts and Fox of this Augustine : That a few days before Glover Yüklə 12,09 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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