Search York

sines. Item, I bequethe to my sayd aunt, Agnes Hurry, a

black gowne. Ite7n, I bequeth to the Maister, Wardens,

and Felyshyp of the Drapers, v. pounde, for a recreation or

a dyner amongst them that shal be in theyr ly.veres at my

buryal. Item, I bequeth to every of my servaunts, that

shal be in my house and service at the time of my deceas,

a gowne, not being black in any wyse. Item, I bequethe to

the sayd Margery, my wyfe, c. pound of my sayd por-

cion, to thintent and upon condition, that she in her Avydo-

hode by her dede sufficiaimt in the law, shal clearly remyt

and release al her ryght, tytle, and interest, that she than

shal have, or ought to clayme or have, by reason of her

maryage unto me, to, of, and in al and syngler my lands

and tenements, and other theyr appurtenances, set, lying,

and being within the countie of Hertford, and elswhere

within the realm of England. And in case my said wyfe

than refuse so to do, and not so release, that than as now, and

now as than, I wyl that my sayd legacy so made to her of

the said c. pounde shal be voyd and of none effect. Item, I

wyl that my sayd wyfe shal inhabit and have my house

wherin I now dwel in the sayd parysh of Alliallowes, during

her wydohode ; and as sone and whan as she shal be as-

sured or maryed to any other man, that than I wyl that

the lease and termes of yeres of and in the same shal be

sold to the most pryce and furderaunce that can be, to the

profyt of my sayde chyldren.
The resydue of al my goods, catalles, and dettes, after

my dettes payd, my funeralls expences perfourmed, and these

my legacies conteyned in this my present testament ful-

filled, I wholy gyve and bequeth to my sayd chyldren, equally

to be devided amongst them, and to be delyvered unto

RECORDS AND ORIGINALS. 373

them accordyng as I have above wylled and declared, that

theyr sayd own porcyons shal be. Provyded alwayes, and

it is my very wyl, mynde, and entent, that shortely after

my decease, al and syngler my wares, stuff' of household,

plate, and al other my goods, whatsoever they be, shal be

praysed by two indifferent persons, to be named and sworne

by the Lord Mayre of London, and his bretherne, for the 252

tyme being. And al and syngler the porcyons therof, ap-

pertaining to my sayd chyldren, as wel theyr second part,

as my sayd legacy so to them made and bequcthed of myn

own part, immediately after the sayd appraysing, to be or-

dered accordyng to the custome of the orphanage of the

citie of London, by the Lord Mayre and his brethcinie.
Item^ I wyl that the yonge men, being free of the fely-

shyp of Drapers, of London, shal have thoccupyeng of al

my sayd chyldrens porcyons and legacies, duryng theyr

nonnages, they puttyng in sufficient sureties therfore, ac-

cording to the sayd custome of the citie of London. And

I wyl, and my mynde and entent is, that my sayd father

in law, Wyllyam Denham, and Elizabeth his wyfe, or theyr

assignes, shal have the kepyng, governaunce, and bryng-

yug up of my sayd chyldren duryng theyr nonnages.
And of this my present testament, I make and ordeyne

the sayd Margery my wyfe, and my sayd father in law, Wyl-

lyam Denham, citezin and alderman of London, myn exe-

cutours. And I bequeth unto the sayd Wyllyam Denham,

for his labour in that behalf, xx. pound and a black gowne.

And of thexecution of the same, I make and ordeine the

sayd Mayster Robert Barnes overseer. And I utterly re-

voke and adnul al and every other former testaments,

wylles, legacies, bequests, executours, and overseer, by me

in any wyse before this tyme made, named, wylled, and be-

quethed. And I wyl, that this my present testament, to-

gethers with al the legacies, bequests, executours, and over-

seer, by me herein made, wylled, and bequethed, shal stand

and abyde for my very testament, and none other, nor

otherwyse. In wytnes wherof to this my present testa^

ment and last wyll, I, the sayd Humphray Monmouth, have

Bb3

374 APPENDIX OF

set my seal : yeven the day and yere fyrst above wryten.

These wytnesses, Wyllyam Robyns, Marcer, Wyllyam

Carkeke, Scryvener, Wyllyam Strode, Gentleman, and

Thomas Parnel, Draper, with other.

E. b. p. 2J)'1

Number XCI.

A brief and sJiort instriictton given the Curates and Clergy
of the diocese of Chichester, by Richard Sampson, Bishop
of the same.

Cleopatra, FOR SO myche that a great part of the quietnes of

" Christs flock, and the right and godly maner of living ac-

cording to Gods word and pleasure, with the merciful

grace of Almighty God, resteth in the maners of such as

hath the care of souls : by whose negligence great disorders

and dissensions are grown and encreased, to Gods high dis-

pleasure; and, by the furtherance of our ghostly enemy,

the Devil, hath caused hatred and mahce so to encrease,

that in the place of love and cherite, envy and wrath are

planted into a great number of hearts ; that sorrowful it is

for any true Christen man to remember it ; so that the rest

253 of the flock are not also without fault ; as my duty is, I ex-

hort every good Christen person to remember his own

faults, and not to look to myche upon the faults of the

Ministers, that he regard not his own : to se a mote in an-

other mans ey, and not a block in his own, as the Gospel

teacheth in the viith chapter of Matthew. And yet the of-

fence is much more in the Ministers than in any other.

For their debt is greater, and hath a greater count to render

for the charge committed unto them, and ought to be ex-

amples in conversation, in che7'ite, in faith and chastity, as

the Apostle writeth to Timothy in the iiii. chapter. Yet

nevertheles it is to be considered, that they are Ministers

appointed not by mans authority, but by our master Christ,

and his word. For so ought men to take them, as Minis-

ters of Christ, and distributors of the mysteries of God, as

Saint Pol, in his iiii. chapter, and his First Epistle to the

Corinths. Therfore the people of God ought to have a

RECORDS AND ORIGINALS. 375

reverende respect to such as are the Ministers, not for their

persons, but for their office, as the Apostle teacheth in tlie

xiii. chapter to the Hebrews. Discrete Ministers ought in

such maner also to order themselfe in diligent using their

administration with sober, clean, and honest living, that the

people might have cause the rather to exteme, love them,

and have thorn in reverence, as the Apostle saith in the ii.

chapter of Timothy.

And therfore, to the intent that the Ministers the rather

may have continual remembrance better to do their duty,

than before times divers hath don, and by their so doing

tlie flock of Christs Church within this dioces may the ra-

ther, by their good example, know God, love God and their

neibours, and have them as the Ministers of Christ in the

better estimation, to follow their good examples in word

and deed, following and humbly obeying the high com-

mandments, injunctions, and godly intents of the Kings

Majesty, our Soveraign high Governor under God, and su-

preme Head of this Church of England, I, Richard, Bishop

of this dioces of Chichester, humble Minister under God

and the Kings said Majesty, in the name of our Lord,

charge and enjoyn to every Curate within this dioces, to

have in continual remembrance, and with the help of the

grace of God, to accomplish these few advisements and in-

junctions following.
First, That every one of them with al diligence fulfil,

and in al points accomplish, the Kings high and godly or-

ders, commandments, and all other injunctions, either made

and set forth, or to be made at any time ; not so much for

fear of the corporal paines, appointed in the same orders

and commandments, as for the fear of the displesure of God,

and his great punishment against al such as are rebells and

enemies to his word. Wherof without fail are al such as

doth not obey the high powers and Ministers of his people.

The high minister only of God in this realm is the Kings

Majesty ; to whom we are so bound to obey here under

God in earth, that whosoever doth not obey, he purchaseth

hh oxen damnation.^ as witncsseth S. Poll in the xiii. chaj)-

B b 4

376 APPENDIX OF
ter to the Romans. This is the pain that we ought to fear

above al other corporal pains. For the corporal pains de-

stroyeth and taketh away no more than the uncertain

goods, or the mortal body in this world. The other pains

destroyeth body and soul into perpetual dampnation. This

ought to be dreadful to every Christen person. Not only

254therfore under these pains al the Curats are bound, with a

pure and sincere mind, to obey and execute the Kings high

commandments, as is abovesaid ; but also every man else

being a subject, is bound to the same obedience, and under

the same pains in al things, especially in following the judg-

ment of his Highnes, with such counsil as it hath pleased

the King to call unto him in his high causes and matters of

our religion ; and in other good orders, for the quietnes of

the people, and the more due ordering of the mysteries of

Christs Church. And whoso is not of this mind is not only

past al sobriety, discretion, humility, and bounden duty to

man, but also resisteth the wil and ordinance of God, to his

extreme damnation.
And because it is so complete, so perfect, so good, that

the Kings high Majesty hath put forth by his laws and in-

junctions, that nothing can be wel added to the same, I ex-

hort al Christen people by the words of S. Poll in the 2d

chapter to the Philippians, that if there he in them any con-

solation in Christ, that they trust of any spiritual goodnes

by him ; or if there be any comfort in fraternal love and

cherite of one with another ; if there be any succor or pie-

sure to be had by the fellowship of the Spirit of Christ ; if

there he any pity or mercy, or any good mind in afflictions

of one man towards another, which are worldly lovers ; by

al these, as S. Poll exhorteth the Philippians, I require and

exhort by the word of God, al and every good Clnisten

man and woman, to endeavor them self to accomplish the

spiritual plesure and goodnes, that the K. M. with his

godly intents desireth above al things to have among his

people; which is onely to be of one mind in Christs religion,

to have the same cheritie of one with another, that they

ought to have by the wil, word, and commandment of Al-

RECORDS AND ORIGINALS. 877

mighty God ; not dissenting one from another, eschue and

abhor al maner of contentions and vainglory, and with al

humblenes, with lieart and mind, receive the judgments

and determinations set forth by the Kings Highnes, and

the whole Council of his royal Parlament, or any other by

his Highnes. And sure it is, that they that doth in any

wise resist, and not humbly receive and obey to these

things, either they only think to have the gift of knowledg

of the truth above al others, or else of very malice and ob-

stinate heart they refuse to obey against Gods word ex-

presly. Which is so great a presumption of mind, that no

worldly wise man can approve it, much les the humble

spirit of a Christen man, bound to obey the superior powers

by Gods word. And surely they shal have their reward

accordingly, if they repent not, both in this world, as many-

times it is Gods plesure to the example of others, or else

much more grievously in another world by the dreadful

judgment of God.

Secondly and lastly, Forsomuch as that the K. M. is our

Sovereign Lord, so that if there were none other cause but

that only, every subject is bound by the commandment of

God to pray for his King and Prince, as the Apostle teach-

cth in the second chapter of the First Epistle to Timothy ;

yet since he is so gracious a Prince, endued with such good-

nes, that he hath his special study to the heavenly weal of

the souls of his subjects, with the most politic governance

of his common wealth, under the pains of the censures of

the Church for disobeying the word of God, I require and

charge every Priest within this dioces, not only al other

times, but especially in his Mas, to have and say, with his 255

heart and mind lift up to God, a special Collect for the

prosperous health of his Majesty : and in the same to have

a special and an expres remembrance for the preservation

of my Lord Prince, Prince Edward, the great inestimable

jewel of this realm : that it may please God to encrease

him with health of body, and godly vertue of mind, Amen.

And neverthelcs I require and exhort also every other

Christen man and woman, in the time of their prayers, to

378 APPENDIX OF

have like remembrance for his Majesty and my said Lord

Prince. Which thing I require and charge every Curate

dihgently to move and require of the people under his cure.

Number XCII.

Richard, Bishop of Chichester, to the Lord Crumzcel ; upon
an offence taJcen against himjbr a sermon preached at
Chichester.

Cleopatra, MY very good Lord, I recommend me unto you : and

'^' 'force now constraineth me to write unto your Lordship, by

reason of a report that hath been lately made and spoken

abroad by divers, that you should not only not be my good

Lord, but also use grievous words against me openly, and

some of them much touching my poor honesty. My Lord,

it grieved me not a little, and much the more, since that I

knew me clear never to have offended you to my knowledg

in thought, word, or deed. 1 know that ye have been my

singular good Lord divers times, and in many things ; the

which shal never be lost for my part to my little power.

Wherfore, my Lord, I beseech you that I may have your

advertisement, if there hath been ony sinister report against

me, OS this world is ful of malicious tongues, that I might

answer to it. And if that your Lordship think that I have

offended you, I pray you, os charity requireth, admonish

me therof, that I may know my fault to amend it, or to re-

compence to my power.
And OS concerning mine own preaching, I wil not other-

wise teach, God willing, than may be to the wealth of the

hearers, and plesure, first I should have said, to God. If

there have been ony sinister report of the httle sermon that

I had at Chichester, upon our Ladies day, the Assumption,

I shal gladly answer to it. I suppose in my little mind, I

spake nothing, but that, if ye had been present, ye would

have been very wel content with it. And os concerning

ony other mans preaching that is of my dioces, if I shal

know his evil preaching, I shal endeavour me to reform

him, or else to bring forth his fault, that it may be cor-

RECORDS AND ORIGINALS. 379

rectcd in example of others. My good Lord, I shal use no

fawning- or dissimulation, I assure you, in these things.

And where I have been partly negligent in not resorting to

my diocess so oft as I might, and ought to do, my Lord, I

shal so use my self in that thing, os, I trust, shal be to the

plesure of God and the Kings, and to my Lords and friends

contentation.
And moreover, I dare promise, that whatever shal be de-256

termined by the Kings Majesty to set forth to his people in

any doctrin, that his Highnes, being my good and gracious

Lord, and also that I may have this favorable assistance of

your Lordship, I trust in Almighty God, that neither his

Highnes nor your Lordship shal need to have any travail

for that poor dioees. For I doubt not, God willing, to

sattle them in such a sort, that if every Bishop wil so do his

part, the Kings people shal be right shortly in a quietness.
Truth it is, my good Lord, that surely I am not very

friendly to novelties, except that necessity, or a great expe-

dient cause require it. But os touching the worshiping of

images, setting up of candles before them, or kneeling, &c.

1 assure you, I trust ye shal hear shortly in my poor dioccs,

that they shal know their former faults, and leave it. It

was one part of my sermon at Chichester upon the feast of

the Assumption : and I shal now send one to Rye, and

those jiarties, who shal also declare that, with other things,

unto them in those parties.

My Lord, there shal none man be more conformable and

earnest in things determineti, than I shal be. And in case

that ony man wil lay to my charge for the favouring of the

Bishop of Rome, or for ony favor that I should bear to ony

maner of doctrin ; os I am certainly by rumour enformed

that your Lordship should have some complainers of me,

and what the Germans meaneth in their late writings, I

know not: first, os concerning the Bishop of Rome, your

Lordship knoweth no man to be in more obloquy among

his friends beyond the seas than I am a. And my Lord, if" Having

I were a man able, or of the sort so to use my self, he is not a^i'iins't

in England or in Germany, but in that matter I durst ad- '''" '"'"

380 APPENDIX OF

venture my life with him, that I am no more a Papist than

he is. And os concerning other complainers, I desire you,

my Lord, at the reverence of God, and os the Kings chief

Counsellor, that I may know the specialties, and you to

know my answer, before that ye shal give credence to mine

accusers. I doubt not, and wel I know before, that some

both of Rye and Lewis would complain : and yet sure I

am, that neither party hath cause, the matter wel heard.

At Lewis, or therabouts, I never meddled. At Rye I think

I have used them charitably, and yet do and wil do.

My good Lord, os good justice requireth, I pray you

suspend the persuasion of your mind, til that ye shal hear

mine answer to the accusements. For I doubt not, but

that I have used a temperance, and such moderation os no

man of good zele and discretion, the matter wel heard,

could in any wise be offended with it.

My Lord, after the King, my Soveraign Lord, he is not

in England, whose counsil or advice that I wil so follow,

OS onely yours. And, I assure you, I neither speak this

for fear nor for flattery ; but to shew you the truth of my

mind, os I suppose your Lordship knoweth to have found

and known it, and so shal know it. My Lord, I am one

of those, I thank God, of such admonitions and afflictions

in this world, that hath need to pray with David in the 129

Psalm, Dom'me, libera animam meant a labiis biiquis^ et a

lingua dolosa. But os ye have been my good Lord, so I

have no doubt but that ye wil be in my just defence, and

your accustomed goodnes towards me. And in case there

is a fault, I wil grant it and amend it; os knoweth our

257 Lord, who preserve you in no less prosperous health to his

plesure, than I would that mine own father should have,

(whose soul God pardon,) if he were alive in this world.

At London, the iiii. day of Sept.
Your own assured,
Rich. Cicester.

RECORDS AND ORIGINALS. 381

Number XCIII.
The smne, to the same; concerning the Bishops qfDtirham,

London,, and Winchester's conferences xmth him, concern-

ing traditions: from the Toicer.
MY special good [Lord.] This morning hath been with Cleopatra,

me Mr. Dr. Petre and Mr. Bellows, by your good Lord- "''^'

ships commandment ; and they have signified unto me,

that my Lord of Durham denyeth, that he hath comforted

me to lean and stick to the old usages and traditions of the

Church. The which I have mervail that he wil do, it hath

been so many and oftentimes, specially, os I have seyd, in

the time of the late Bishop of London, when we were bu-

sied with the Germans, and also with the book. And to

bring it to my L. of Durhams remembrance, I would he

should cal to his memory, that he hath an old book in

Greek, and in that book are divers things of the old usages

and traditions of the old Church ; the which divers times

he caried with him to liambeth : and os I went with him

in his barge, he would tel me of divers places there written

for that purpose, and of divers things then used and or-

dained by the Greek Church, which were then in contro-

versy. And in the same book, or else in another like, there

was a form of a mass written, whether it were of Chrys-

ostomes or Basils, now I remember not. The late Bishop

of London also brought other books of Greek ; and so they

conferred togethers their books. My L. of Wynchestre, os

I have sayd, was not then here. The comfort that he hath

given me was now lately, not to fear to help things forward ;

for the Kings Highnes was very good Lord in them.
Truth it is, that except it were now in ceremonies, in the

which he wyllcd me to be diligent, and to leave none, but

to leave that order to the Kings Majesties plesure, to con-

tinue or take away, which it shal please his Majesty : else,

OS I have seyd, he and I have not much conferred toge-

thers. But in divers other times yet, when we spake of old

usages, and old traditions, he was clear in that opinion,

that they were not to be broken without a great cause ; and

382 APPENDIX OF

that some of them were in no wise to be broken. Os now of

late I perceive both by him and my Lord of Rochestre,

that is one of their matters wherin they stayed. And my

L. of Winchestre told me, that they were al in one opinion,

very few except.

258 I doubt not also but that my [Lord] of Durham remem-

breth divers times at Lambeth, both in the gallery and

when we departed from my L. of Canterbury, how that the

late Bishop of London wold be very earnest with me for

those old usages of the Church, and such os are called old