thought your servants' words and such other might prove to, having for example that such like words was the ground and foundation of the rebellion lately conceived in Lincolnshire. And to be plain with you, I am sorry to perceive how ready you be to ascribe that to yourself, which was only laid to your servants, for such words as I suppose I can justly prove against them. And therefore when I write this parification, as you call it, of the rebels of Lincolnshire, I nothing thought less than to compare any man hereabout to them; only I showed what seditious words might do here, as it did there; for I think that if such monitions had been in time there sent to wise men, it would never have come to so great a ruffle as it did. And I do assure you (by cause the pacifying of seditiousness as much appertaineth to you as to me) I had thought when I wrote that my said letter to you, you would rather have required of me the names of your servants, the time and place, and to whom those words were spoken, than thus, by taking to yourself the defence of your said servants, impute that the matter was specially rehearsed against you.

As touching many other things at large in your letter, of your hatred towards the people for favouring of the word of God, of your interpreting new and old fashions, of your open speaking at Sessions, or elsewhere, both of the new book and of other things, and of your threats there; for so much as you allege this text, Ego palam locutus sum, I think in very deed that your open speaking hath engendered much grudge amongs the people, and also putteth your own servants in this courage and comfort, thus without discretion to babble and talk such slanderous and seditious words as they do.

And therefore, to make an end, I require you not to take my monition to the worst, but as you would accept the monition of him that loveth you better than he that dare not tell you his mind according to his conscience. And as for that that I have done hitherto by my letters, you have no cause why you should take it but after a charitable manner, considering that it is our private and secret communication.

And if you cannot thus take it, then I remit the judgment of
my letters to the King and his Council, and to the report of
such as shall be called before them for the same.
And now
where upon occasion of my other letter you wish me that
God should give me grace to do my office, truly I can no
less do than thank you therefore, requiring you, (as you
shall from time to time see cause why) that you will both
earnestly and plainly admonish me of such things as you
shall think in your conscience worthy of reformation. And
I trust I shall not only better accept your admonitions
than you have done mine, but shall in my heart also yield
unto you condign thanks for the same.

CXCIX. A JUSTICE TO CRANMER.

Theol.

After due reverence as appertaineth to your lordship remem- MSS. bered, it may please you to know that yesterday before noon I re- Chapter House, ceived your second letters, whereby I perceive that your lordship Westmincalleth your former letters to me directed, which I received at ster; Mynster in Thanett, "a friendly exhortation." And ye allege Tracts, that I cannot bear the same which allegation it seemeth ye make vol. ii. because of certain comparisons comprised in mine answer to your lordship thereunto made. My lord, ye may be assured that your said former letters distempered not me in such wise, that I forgat wherein I made my comparisons, for they be such as I may well make, and eftsoons hereby I affirm them. And as to your lordship's friendly exhortation, albeit that ye be an high prelate and percase deeply seen in divinity, and I a man but meanly learned in morality, I despair not so much in myself as to think, that I cannot discern between a friendly exhortation or admonition, and a captious impetition or dangerous commination. And where your lordship offereth to abide reproach, or to make me amends, in case that I could persuade unto you mine to be true, as I have heretofore written, I will not desire any of those to be had; but I will make recompense to myself by being ware of your lordship hereafter. And, my lord, I know well that honest men of this shire be not in such fear of me, as to forbear to speak to me presently as they think, nor use to detract me, as ye write.

And where your lordship, touching the particulars of mine answer to your said former letters, writeth, that your judgment conceived of me before ye knew me, in that I favoured not the word of God, and your perseverance in the same, argueth that there was a fame of me in that behalf before ye knew me; it seemeth to be but a weak argument, and thereto I say and I think verily, that ye never knew nor heard of any such fame, but that ye invented that objection against me for another cause, which I well remember. For when I came first to your presence, which was at Otford, and moved you therein, ye justified not that your judgment by any fame thereof being upon me, but advised me to apply study of Scripture; which hitherto I durst never enterprise, for doubt that I should, with little learning and less discretion, take upon me high knowledge, as I see many do nowadays.

And such things as ye impute default in me for matters not set forth in Sessions, which be requisite for our salvation; those things be more pertinent to the office and part of a standing preacher in a pulpit, than to a sitting justiciar in a temporal session of peace; and what your lordship meaneth by voluntary things set forth in Sessions, which ye allege have greatly obscured our faith and such things as we be bound to believe and do upon pain of damnation, I know not; and I never heard the King's Courts of Sessions so defamed as your lordship doth with your pen, writing that the worst been there declared, and of the best never a word spoken. Thus your lordship taketh mine opinion by the reports of the tongues of such false persons as I have written of to your lordship before; and in the process of this matter it may be reasonably gathered upon the writing to me, that a session of the King's laws cannot be laudably kept, unless there be in manner a sermon of divinity clerkly made therein. Whereunto ye add great lack of discretion in men between things commanded by God and by his word, and things ordained by man

с

[This plea, however conclusive it may now appear, was probably of little avail in the reign of Henry VIII; for at that time points of divinity were not unfrequently handled on such occasions. For instance, when the King commanded the bishops and clergy to preach in favour of his supremacy, he also directed the justices of the peace "at their sitting in Sizes and Sessions, to persuade, show, and declare "unto the people the teuor, effect, and purpose of the premises in such "wise as the said Bishops and Clergy may the better execute their "said duties." See Burnet, Ref. vol. iii. App. B. ii. No. 32.]

and grounded of mere devotion, without any foundation or ground of the word of God. I suppose that few men have so little discretion as to think, that liberal things proceeding but of devotion be to be done or practised, and the commandment of God to be omitted; albeit I doubt not but that Almighty God accepteth to his pleasure good things done which proceed of mere devotion, though that the thing be not expressly commanded to be done by the word of God; or else all foundations of the ecclesiastical things and other like perpetuities be of little reputation.

Also your lordship marvelleth that I do not perceive things which ye write of, in reading the last determination of the Clergy, because I say they be so plain that they need no declaration; and I marvel more that ye so marvel, ere that ye know or hear mine intelligence in them. And most heartily I beseech your lordship to let me know your manifest conjectures, proofs, and vulgar fame which ye write off; whereupon ye have grounded, or reasonably may ground yourself to impeach me by your former letters as ye have done, for till your lordship so letteth me know by some reasonable mean, I cannot think but that ye have dealt hardly with me and uncharitably. And let the openers to you of those things and such other as ye may not wink at, be known; and I doubt not but that they shall be seen to be such persons as I have written of, and thereby also ye shall know me better than ye do. And hitherto, I am sure, that I have been as vigilant to things tending to disquietness, murmur, or disobedience, as any poor man of my degree in this shire, and have detested them as much; and because that it seemeth that divers of my servants offended your lordship in speaking of some words, I pray you send for them, and upon due proof thereof made, use them according to their demerits.

And where I have written, Ego palam locutus sum, let the hearers testify, and I am ready to make answer; and beseech Almighty God to grant me grace never to have more dangerous matter to answer unto than that; and I doubt not but that I have so borne myself hitherto, and trust in God to do hereafter, that I shall not need to dread the complaints of your lordship nor of any other; and so finally I intend truly to serve God and the King during my poor life, as well as God will give me grace, and so to live in good tranquillity and little care of evil tongues, what ears or eyes so ever be bent against me. And so also I pray God your lord

ship may do.

Written at Raynham, the first Sunday of this

month of October. [7 Oct. 1537-]

MSS.
Chapter
House,

ster; Crum

CC. TO CRUMWELL.

My very singular good Lord, after most hearty commendations unto your lordship; these shall be to signify Westmin- unto the same, that you shall receive news by this bearer well's Cor. Mr. Hethe f, which of late I have received out of Germany respond- from Osiander; requiring you, my lord, to give further creginal. dence unto this said bearer, touching such things as he shall declare unto you.

ence. Ori

And albeit that I have written to your lordship so many times in the favour of that poor man, William Gronno 5, to be restored unto his room at Calice, that I am at my wit's end farther how to behave myself to do him good by my suit, considering that your letters, three times already directed in his favour, prevaileth nothing at all; yet once again, having in respect both his importune suit, and also his extreme poverty, or rather undoing, I shall beseech your lordship, inasmuch as you have thus far attempted in his behalf, that you will not now leave off your good intent towards him; for if you do, surely I do not only count the man undone, but also take that this his extreme handling shall be a great hinderance to the advancement of God's word; and I beseech you procure, that there may be one of the Council of Caleis that earnestly favoureth the furtherance thereof. Thus, my lord, right heartily fare you well. At Forde, the 9th day of October.

Your own assured ever,

To the Right Honourable and my
singular good lord, my Lord Privy
Seal.

T. Cantuarien.

f [See Letter LXXXIX. CLII. For an account of the negotiations between Hen. VIII. and the German protestants, see Seckendorf, Comment. de Lutheran. lib. iii. §. xxxix. and lib. iii. §. Ixvi. (b) ]

g [See Letter CXCII.]