Search York

stock for the relief of the poor; and used in such wise,

that the ordinary cottagers, which could make any provi-

sion for fodder, had the milk for a very small hire ; and

then the number of the stock reserved, all manner of vails

beside, both the hire of the milk, and the prices of the

young veals, and old fat wares were disposed to the relief

of the poor. " These, he said, were all sold, taken, and

" made away. The King bore the slander, the poor felt the

" lack. But who had the profit of such things, he could
h3

102 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK " not tell. But he knew well, and all the world saw, that
" the act made by the King's Majesty and his Lords and
Anno 1547." Connnons of his Parhament, for maintenance of learning
^^ " and relief of the poor, had served some as a fit instrument
'' to rob learning, and to spoil the poor.'' All this I have
said by occasion of the act made this sessions of Parlia-
K. L. ment for chantries.
The rest of the public acts made this first session I for-

bear to mention ; the statute books, ready at hand to every

Private man, will shew them. But the private acts beinsr not so
acts.
commonly known, because unprinted, and to be found only
in the Clerk of the Parliament's office, were these :
An act assuring lands [which once belonged to the

Church] to the Lord Rich, and others.

An act for the establishment of a deanery at Wells : the

old deanery, as it seems, having been swallowed up.

An act for the restitution of the Lord Henry Stafford.
An act for the restitution of John Lumley, Esq. And

another for the restitution of Griffith Ryce, Esq.

The King by this time had made a good step in the re-

formation of religion. For besides the Injunctions and the

Royal Visitation, and an English Communion Book, and the

Communion to be received in both kinds, the holy Bible in

the vulgar tongue, the Homilies, and the excellent Para-

phrase of that great scholar Erasmus, were all now by the

King's command brought in, for the common use of his

subjects. Which made the Gospellers most highly to extol

him, and set forth his deserved praises. Thus one of them

styled him, " The high and chief admiral of the great navy

" of the Lord of hosts, principal captain and governor of

" us all under him : the most noble ruler of his ship, even

raphrase of " our most Comfortable Noah, whom the eternal God hath

I'l^t. 44 chosen to be the bringer of us unto rest and quietness in

'' him That he had set up his sail already, and was
" so well forward of his most godly journey, the gracious

" wind of the Holy Ghost serving him, that it made many

" a faithful subject of his, according as his calling required,

" to come after a good pace That he was most godly

OF KING EDWARD VI. 103

" occupied, and continued in stopping up the gaps that ^H AP-

« Antichrist and his false doctrine had made in the vine-

" yard of the Lord, and in building again the walls of his Anno 1547.

" house, which, through idolatry, superstition, evil exam-

" pie, and horrible abuses, had been broken down. That his

" noble acts and statutes, his proclamations and injunctions
" testified the same And that his godly homihes, and
" notable work of Erasmus's Paraphrase upon the holy

" Evangelists, were worthy to be compared to the rich

" jewels that Moses used to the pleasant garnishing of the

" temple. And as for the sacred Bible, and volume of God's

" holy book, set forth by his Majesty's appointment, to

" be duly practised in all holy exercises within his churches,

" as it was the fairest flower of his garden, and the most

" precious pearl of God's jewel-house, so because his Ma-

" jesty had graciously made them partakers thereof, they

" acknowledged themselves no less bounden to his Majesty,

" than the Israelites were first to their sovereign Moses, for

" bringing them up out of Egypt, and for setting up the

« tabernacle ; and afterwards to noble King Josias, for re-

" storing them again the book of the law."

In the latter days of King Henry VIII. Stephen, Bishop Bishop Gar-
¦,„-,! ^ ',' , • diner writes
of Winton, wrote two reproachful letters (convitiatrices, as ^^^^^^^ bu-

Bucer calls them) against a certain book of the said Bucer, ^er

disproving the necessity of single life imposed upon priests

and monks. Which book he wrote against one Latomus.

Wherein Bucer endeavoured to prove, from the word of

God, and the consent of the true apostolical Church, that

the doctrine that Latomus endeavoured to defend, as the

law of the Church, whereby priests were denied marriage,

was not a law of the Church of God, but rather the pest of

laws : whereby all true sanctity, as well of the clergy as

the laity, (following the chastity of priests,) was in an hor-

rid manner laid waste. He shewed what marriage was of

itself, an holy state of life, and had that in it whereby the

priestly function was not a httle helped. And for that cause

the Holy Ghost, among the endowments and virtues of a

Bishop, set it in the first place, that he should be an hus-.

H 4

104

MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK band, and a pious father of a family. Against this book Win-

' Chester wrote his two letters. His way of answering this book

Anno 1547. -was not by sohd answers (as Bucer complained) taken from

the authority of God, and of the whole apostolical Church,

but by nibbling at little words, and snatching some places

that might allow of a dubious and uncertain interpretation,

whereby to shew how acute and sharp he was in perverting

things well spoken, and speaking evil of those that deserved

it not.
It was somewhat long before Bucer published an answer

to Bishop Gardiner, delaying it till the year 1547. For

when he had prepared his answer, by enlarging what he

wrote against Latomus, consisting of proofs out of the

Scriptures, and sentences of Fathers, before he put it forth,

he signified his purpose to King Henry : who returned

Bucer this answer ; " That he had rather he would defer

" the publishing it a little longer : for that he hoped he

*' should with a more quiet and sedate mind discourse with

" Winchester, and other learned men of his kingdom, con-

" cerning this and other controversies of religion, to find

" out some godly reconciliation and restoration of the

" Church. Which purpose the King feared might be

" somewhat obstructed, if Winchester, whose sharpness in

" writing, as he told Bucer, he liked not, should be pro-

" voked to write further against him."*"* With this pious

and wise answer of the King, Bucer laid aside his purpose

of sending abroad the things he had writ in his own vindi-

cation.
But at length, in the year 1547, in an epistle to the

Church of England, he put forth his answers to Winton's

letters aforesaid, under these four heads :

I. That he did piously and truly affirm, in his former

book, that many men were so called to wedlock by God,

that they could not receive the truly godly single hfe for

the kingdom of heaven's sake.

II. That although it were true, that every one could re-

ceive this order of holy single life, if he would, as Win-

chester contended they could, yet what was now required of

OF KING EDWARD VI. 105

all that take priesthood, or the monastic life, was against CHAP.

the authority of the ancient Church.

III. He justified himself, not to have spoke that which Anno 1547.

was false, as was imputed to him by Winchester.
IV. Concerning the genuine interpretation of that place.

He that standeth Jirm in his heart, having no necessity,

hut hath power over his own will, and hath decreed in his

heart that he ivill keep his virgin, doth well. And of 'some 67

other places, as that, It is not good for mart to he alone.

And that. It is good for a man not to touch a woman. And

that. Because of fornication, let every man have his own

wfe, &c.

It was about three years before the abovesaid Bishop A meeting

wrote his letters to Bucer, that they both happened to nieet Qard^nrr*,

together: where, in consequence of discourse, they, fell into^^^^ Bucer,

a dispute about this argument. For Bucer and Alexander Germany.

Ales, the Scot, coming, whether on purpose or by chance, Gratuiat.

where Bishop Gardiner was, being then the King's ambas- p. 56.

sador in Germany, the Bishop began to discourse concern-^ ' ' ^^^^'

ing some common principles and means, whereby every man

might be convinced of the controverted points of religion.

Then the Bishop denied that there were any principles and

certain way, by which the true doctrines of our religion

might be demonstrated, and the contrary refuted. Which

Bucer asserted, and then brought this place of Scripture,

2 Tim. iii. concluding hence, that the Scripture divinely

inspired was abundantly sufficient to both ; as the Holy

Ghost there, by St. Paul, testified. But Winchester said,

every one fixed the sense he pleased upon the Scriptures;

and refused to stand to the interpretation of the ancients.

Bucer answered, that to those to whom the faith of Christ,

and a desire of following the word of God, was not want-

ing, was easily shewn from the Scriptures, what was to be

followed in religion, and what avoided. And concerning

the sense of Scripture in doctrines necessary to our salva-

tion, agreement might with no great pains be made among

such, who, by prayer, and a study of godliness, and such

like ways, inquired the true sense of Scripture, as inquiry

106 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK is wont to be made into other authors for their sense. But

^' the Bishop would not bring the matter into that narrow

Anno 1 547. compass, but asserted, that every one ought to follow that

which princes did decree and appoint concerning religion.

Then they descended into a dispute of the power of princes

in matters relating to rehgion. And herein this took up a

good part of their discourse, that the Bishop endeavoured

to maintain, that princes did well in punishing the trans-

gression of their own laws more severely than that of

God's : which Bucer had laid to the charge of princes : as

likewise that it was held capital to eat flesh a Fridays,

whether it were of beasts, fowl, or fish ; or if a priest or

a monk married a wife, while in the mean time they made

a sport to commit adultery and fornication, and to kill

themselves and others with their cups. This gave occa-

sion of falling into disputation of that law whereby mar-

riage was forbid to priests. For the retaining of which law,

and the punishing the breach of it, the Bishop said, the

prince had as much power over his subject, as the father

had over his daughter. And the father, if he pleased,

might keep his daughter unmarried. And so it was in the

power of princes to command celibacy to priests. Here

Bucer urged the restraint of this power, which the Holy

Ghost expressed in those words. Having no necessity^ and

having power over his oivn will. For since none could

have power over any other, unless to the edification of god-

liness, he said, a father had not power from God to keep

his daughter unmarried, unless he considered it would be

to his daughter's profit, and that he should confer some-

68 thing to her hereby, namely, to her serving of God more

readily. But a father was so far from having a power over

his own will in this matter, to keep his daughter a virgin,

that he had rather a necessity of giving her in marriage.

Here Winchester denied, that any necessity was given the

father of marrying his daughter from the daughter herself.

But Bucer stuck to this principle of Scripture, that a fa-

ther had not power of keeping his daughter, unless he

knew it would be for her spiritual benefit ; and if he feared

OF KING EDWARD VI. 107

it would fall out otherwise, he must bestow her in marriage. CHAP.

These things were argued more at large in the Bishop's

foresaid letters. ^""« ^5^*7.

In this disputation (because the Bishop in his letter de-

nied that he used any contending in his discourse with Bu-

cer) Bucer could not but take notice of the heat and pas-

sion of the Bishop, and as a sic^n thereof », "how the veins ^ Ut venae

^' ^ • r n in manibus,
" in his hands, the like to which he never saw m any before, quod in

" did leap and tremble, as often as Bucer said any thing ^^^'^^ 'J^'^-_

" that gave him offence ; specially if he heard any such mine yidi,

" thing spoken by that learned and truly pious divine Alex- ^" ^^^'^^_ '

" ander Ales, whom Bucer brought with him to Bishop rent, quo-
' ° ties audiret
" Gardiner at this conference. ^ nobis
quod oflFendebat, &c. Gratulat. ad Eccl. Angl. p. 53.

CHAP. IX.

Anabaptists. Bishop Ridley vindicated. Latimer s talk

•with aji Anabaptist. Begins to preach. Bishop Gardi-

ner complies with the Kings proceedings. Hancock the

preacher. His troubles.

J. HIS busy Bishop, who had been imprisoned in the Fleet Bishop Gar-

the last day of June, by the Council, was, the latter end of ^t liberty,

this year, by the King's general pardon, set at liberty : but

the Council asked him, whether he and all his diocese

would receive the injunctions and homilies lately made.

He said, he would conform to all, and enjoin his diocese so

to do ; but he boggled at the homily of Justification, which

was set forth to be hj faith, and not by works. And con-

cerning that, he desired some days to consider. And to sa-

tisfy and persuade him in this point, Bishop Ridley was

sent to him.
At this time he and Ridley were appointed to deal with Ridley mis-
rGDrGSditcd
two Anabaptists of Kent : for divers of that sect had lately by oardi-

fled from Germany hither ; and began to infect the realm "^^•

with odd and heretical opinions; and particularly spake

contemptibly of the holy sacrament of the Lord's Supper

108 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK So at the same time that Ridley exhorted Gardiner to re-

^' ceive the true doctrine of Justification, against which he

Anno 1547. was very refractory, he prayed him to be very diligent in

confounding the Anabaptists in his diocese; and that he

would be steady in defence of the Sacrament against them.

This some Papist did pervert to such a sense, as though

Ridley had spoken of and approved a carnal presence.

69 And so Bishop Gardiner reported to some in his house,

after Ridley was departed. But though Ridley were not

for that gross, corporeal, popish presence in the Sacrament,

yet he approved of treating that holy mystery with all de-

votion and honour ; because there were many in those times,

who, that they might run the farther from Popery, gave it

little or no respect at all. Wherefore he, in a sermon at St.

Paul's Cross, preached earnestly for giving great reverence

to the Sacrament : rebuking the unreverend behaviour of

many towards it : for there had been fixed upon the cathe-

dral church doors, and other places, railing bills against the

Sacrament, terming it, JacJc in a hox, the sacrament of the

halter. Round robin, and such like unseemly terms. Though

they meant not these contemptible expressions, I suppose,

against the holy Supper of our Lord, but only against the

papal mass. But upon this occasion Bishop Ridley declared

what estimation and reverence ought to be given to this

holy institution ; what danger ensued the mishandling

thereof: and affirmed, that in it there was truly and verily

the body and blood of Christ effisctuously by grace and

spirit. This some then understood again in the gross sense

of the Papists, though he so meant it not.

Depositions And the more to expose Ridley, when Bishop of Lon-

hfm."*^ don, and to take off his credit, being one of the Commis-

sioners in the year 1550 to examine Bishop Gardiner, the

said Bishop got leave for certain of the clergy to be de-

posed on his behalf; to shew, that Bishop Ridley declared

himself once for the corporal presence, and afterwards de-

clared against the same doctrine. And what if he had so

done ? Is it such a crime to forsake an error, after a man

hath found it to be so.'^ But let us see the depositions. The

OF KING EDWARD VI. 109

first witness was Maurice Griffith, Archdeacon of Roches- cHAP.

ter : who deposed, " That Ridley, Bishop of Rochester, ^^-

" the first year of the King, at PauFs Cross, treated earn- Anno 1547.

" estly and vehemently of the Sacrament ; and did set Acts and

"forth the presence of Christ's body there; and called e^it.'

" them hogs and dogs, that did irreverendly behave them-

'* selves touching the same.'** His second witness was

Thomas Watson, his Chaplain; and he deposed, " That

" he called them worse than dogs and hogs, that would as-

" sert the question. How he was there present. And noting

" the dignity of the Sacrament said, that in the primitive

" times three sorts of people were excluded from the Com-

" miniion, catechumeni, energumeni^ and poenitentes. And

" this, he said, he preached the first year of the King, in

" November." And then was George Bishop of Chichester

deposed, " That in the Parliament at Westminster, 1549,

" the same Bishop Ridley did openly impugn the verity

'' of Christ's body and blood in the Sacrament." But so

yet, all this came to no more, but that he held a presence,

but not after the gross popish way. So that these deposi-

tions could not arise to a proof, that Ridley varied in his

opinions about the Sacrament.
But this slanderous report ffot such a vogue among the Ridley's
^. ,, , , r. 1 • IP 1 ^Vindication
Papists, that Ridley could never alter get himselt clear ot of what he

it. And in the beginning of Queen Mary's reign. Feck- ^^^'j^^**^

nam, Dean of St. Paul's, had the confidence to relate it Cross,

publicly in his sermon at St. Paul's Cross, that Ridley

once declared himself in that place for a substantial change

of the bread in the Sacrament. But if we would know in-

deed what Ridley preached, we may have it from himself:

vindicating himself in this matter to Secretary Bourn and Fox's Act.

• D 12""
Fecknam, in a conference with them in the Tower, shewing JL'

them how unjustly and untruly reported he h.ad been, he

said, that what he then delivered at Paul's Cross was,

" that inveighing against them that esteemed the Sacra-

" ment no better than a piece of bread, he told his auditors

" of the poenitentes, audientes, catechumeni, and energu-

" m,eni in the primitive times, who were bid to depart when

p. 1298.

110 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK "the Sacrament was to be administered; and I/' said Rid-

'¦ ley, " bid them depart, as unworthy to hear the mystery ;

Anno 1547." and then said to those that were the sancti, that Cyprian

" the martyr should tell them, how it was that Christ called

" it, saying, Panis est corpus, cibus, potus, caro, &c. Bread

" was the body, meat, drink, Jlesh of Christ ; because unto

" this material substance is given the property of the thing

" whereof it beareth the name. And this [common] place,""

saith Ridley, " I then took to utter as the time would then

" suffice, that the material substance of bread did remain."^

Fecknam heard all this talk of Ridley, as red as scarlet in his

face, and said not a word. Yet notwithstanding, Fecknam

would afterwards, as occasion served, mention Ridley, as serv-

ing his popish purpose. So he told Mr. Hawks the martyr, in

his conference with him, that Ridley, in a sermon at PauPs

Cross, had preached, " that the Devil believed better than

" some among them ; for he believed that Christ was able

" of stones to make bread, but they would not believe that

" Christ's body was in the Sacrament.*"

The effect Among Other dangerous errors vented nowadays by the

baptisticai Anabaptists, before spoken of, and believed by many ho-

error. ncst meaning people, they held, that after an apostasy from
the truth, there was no salvation : and that this was the sin

against the Holy Ghost. This put one, about these times,

into despair : for he had fallen from the truth known, and

after fell to mocking and scorning it. At length, upon

some melancholic thoughts, he fell into the hideous condi-

tion of desperation, reckoning verily that he had sinned the

Sermon be- sin against the Holy Ghost. He repaired unto Latimer the

K^ng. ^ great divine and casuist at this time, and told him, that

" he should be damned, and that it was not possible for

" him to be saved, for that he had sinned the sin against

" the Holy Ghost.'' Latimer did think, that falling away

from the truth was indeed the sin meant, of which the

Scripture said. It should never he forgiven. But he told

the man, " that it was a vehement manner of speaking in

" the Scripture, but was not spoken universally, as though

" God did never forgive it, but it was commonly called un-

OF KING EDWARD VI. Ill

" forgivable, because God seldom forgiveth it. Yet that CHAP.

" there was no sin so great but that God may forgive it, and

" doth forgive it to the repentant heart.'' And when no ar-Anno is47.

gument he could use had any force upon the man, this best

quieted him, and took some place with him. But the said

good Father made this observation hereupon. How seldom

this sin is forgiven, in that he knew no more, but that one

man that fell from the truth, and after repented, and came

to grace again, though he had, as he said, known many,

that knew more than he, and some whom he honoured, that

after they had fallen from the truth, never, this man ex-