shall be heartily to desire, that, in consideration of his long attendance and of the great lack that the West parts have of him, you will show him your accustomable favour and help at this present: that by your procurement he may the sooner take his oath, and have your gentle assistance for the obtaining of his suit concerning the first fruits. For I mind, by God's grace, the 30th day of this month, to accomplish the King's Majesty's mandate concerning the consecration of him and of the Bishop of Rochester d. And thus I bid you most heartily well to fare. From my manor at Croydon, the 23d of August 1552. e [1551.]

Your loving friend,

To the Right Worshipful and my very good friend, Mr. William Cecil, one of the King's Majesty's two principal Secretaries.

T. Cant'.

CCLXXXII. TO CECIL, OR CHEKE.

App. No.

Sir W.

After my very hearty commendations; these be to signify Strype, unto you, that Rayner Wolf, at my desire, hath fully Cranmer, finished the printing of my book, for answer to the late f 62. from Bishop of Winchester's, written against mine of the doctrine Hicks's of the sacrament. And forasmuch as both printing and MSS. selling of any matters in the English tongue is prohibited by a proclamation set forth, unless the same matter be first allowed by the King's Majesty, or six of his Majesty's Privy Council, as you shall more plainly perceive by the proclamation, which herewith I send unto you: therefore I heartily pray you to be a suitor to the King's Majesty, or

[John Scory; who, according to Cranmer's intention, was consecrated with Coverdale at Croydon on the 30th of Aug. 1551. Strype, Cranm. p. 271.]

с

[This is the date in Strype's copy, but the passages referred to in the preceding notes prove clearly that it must be an error for 1551.] f[Gardyner was deprived on the 14th of Feb. 1551. Foxe, Acts, &c. vol. ii. p. 738.]

to the Privy Council, that Mr. Rayner may have license for the printing and selling of my said book accordingly; and the same so obtained to send me with convenient speed. For in the beginning of the term I think it were very necessary to be set forth, for the contentation of many which have had long expectation of the same. As soon as I shall receive advertisement, when the King's Majesty will be at Hampton Court, I will come thither to see his Grace, and do my duty towards the same. Thus fare ye heartily well. From my manor at Croydon, the xxix. of September, 1551. Your loving friend,

To my very loving friends, Mr. Cecill,
one of the King's Majesty's two
principal Secretaries. Or to Mr.
Cheeke.

T. Cant.

In Archiv.
Eccl. Tig.

ex autogr.

CCLXXXIII. TO BULLINGER 5.

Eximio Viro D. Heinricho Bullingero, Tigurinæ Ecclesiæ
Ministro fidelissimo, dentur hæ litteræ.

S. P. Quod ad litteras tuas Tiguri datas 24 Februarii, post annum respondeo, imputabis partim occupationibus originali. meis, partim indiligentiæ cuidam meæ in hoc officii genere, Epist. tom. vii. part quam in me hærere ingenue confiteor. Sed quia præstat prior. pag. sero quam nunquam officium facere, nunc ad omnia accipies 2187. Kasten. B. [responsum].

Duas apud ne causas agis, publicam et privatam. Quod ad publicam attinet h, nempe ut consultor esse velim, ne Regia Majestas legatum ad Concilium Tridentinum mitteret, non fuit opus me consultore ad dissuadendum ab eo, quod nunquam illi in mentem venit, sed potius consilium dandum esse duxi, ut quemadmodum adversarii nostri nunc

[Printed from Mr. Salomon Hess's copy of the manuscript at Zurich.] h [Bullinger wrote also to Henry Grey, Marquis of Dorset, on the same subject, in March 1551. See Strype, Memorials, vol. ii. p. (254.)] i [Several of the German protestant states sent delegates to Trent in 1551 and 1552. See Burnet, Ref. vol. ii. pp. 386. 434.]

Tridenti habent sua concilia ad errores confirmandos; ita ejus pietas auxilium suum præbere dignaretur, ut in Anglia, aut alibi, doctissimorum et optimorum virorum Synodus convocaretur, in qua de puritate ecclesiasticæ doctrinæ et præcipue de consensu controversiæ sacramentariæ tractaretur. Ad quod institutum (quia reipublicæ Christianæ utilissimum esse judicavit) animum Majestatis illius admodum propensum esse sensi. Quare non est nobis committendum, ut Ecclesiæ Dei in re tam ardua deesse velimus. Scripsi hac de re ad D. Philippum, et ad D. Calvinum k, oroque ut consultetis, qua ratione Synodus hæc aut in Anglia, aut alibi congregari commodissime possit.

Privata causa, de qua ad me scripsisti, fuit, ut controversiam inter D. Londinensem et D. Hoperum, Gloucestrensem componerem, de qua nunc nimis serum est respondere. Nam diu abhinc audisse te sat scio controversiam illam compositam et penitus sublatam fuisse. Et D. Hoperus ea est apud nos æstimatione, ut Wigorniensis Episcopus jam sit designatus, et hoc tempore, quo comitia apud nos Londini congregantur, in ædibus meis mecum conjunctissime vivit. Dominus Jesus Spiritu suo sancto te gubernet et tueatur. Vale. Lambethi, 20 Martii, 1552 m.

Tuæ paternitatis Studiosissimus,

* [See Letters CCLXXXIV, CCLXXXv.]

Thomas Cantuariensis.

The news had been communicated both by Peter Martyr and Hoper himself. Hoper was consecrated Bishop of Gloucester, according to the usual form, in March 1551, and on the deprivation of Hethe, in Oct. of the same year, was appointed to the see of Worcester, which he held in commendam. Strype, Cranm. pp. 216. 218. Hess, MS. Catalogue of Letters at Zurich.]

[Strype and Mr. Todd appear to limit Cranmer's exertions for a union of the reformed Churches, to the period between 1548 ahd 1550. Archbishop Lawrence extends them to 1551. (Strype, Cranm. pp. 208. 407, &c.; Todd, Life of Cranm. vol. ii. p. 221; Lawrence, Bampton Lectures, p. 224.) But it is clear, from this and the following Letters, that they were still continued in the following year. The hope, which the Archbishop so long cherished, of succeeding in this design, may perhaps have been one reason for his allowing five years to elapse, without any formal Declaration of Faith on the part of the English Church. For he must of course have felt, that the publication of a separate Formulary would add to the difficulties of agreeing on a joint one. See Preface.]

Arch. Eccl.

Tig.
Calvin.

Opera,

268. Amst.

S. P. Ut nulla res Ecclesias magis dissipat, quam hæreses et dissidia circa dogmata religionis, ita nihil efficacius Ecclesias Dei congregat et potentius ovile Christi munit, quam tom. ix. P. incorrupta Evangelii doctrina et dogmatum consensus. 1667. Quare sæpius optavi atque etiamnum opto, ut docti et pii viri, qui alios antecellunt eruditione et judicio, in tutum aliquem locum convenirent, ubi communicato consilio et collatis sententiis, capita omnia ecclesiasticæ doctrinæ tractarent, et non solum de rebus ipsis, sed etiam de formis loquendi, gravi autoritate opus aliquod posteritati traderent. Adversarii nostri habent nunc Tridenti sua concilia, ut errores stabiliant, et nos piam Synodum congregare negligemus, ut errores refutare, dogmata repurgare et propagare possimus? Illi Tepì tǹs åptoλatpeías (ut audio) decreta condunt, quare nos omnem lapidem movere debemus, non solum ut alios adversus hanc idololatriam muniamus, sed etiam ut ipsi in doctrina hujus sacramenti consentiamus. Quantum Ecclesiam Dei labefactarint circa hoc unitatis sacramentum dissensiones et opinionum varietates, prudentiam tuam latere non potest: quæ etsi nunc alicubi sublatæ sint, tamen in hac doctrina consensionem optarem, non solum de rebus ipsis, sed etiam de verbis et loquendi formulis. Habes meum votum, de quo etiam scripsi ad D. Philippum et ad D. Bullingerum, oroque ut vos inter vos deliberetis, qua ratione Synodus hæc congregari commodissime possit P. Vale. Lambethi, 20 Mart. 1552. Frater tuus in Christo carissimus,

Th. Cantuariensis.

[Printed from Mr. Salomon Hess's copy of the manuscript at Zurich.] [See Letter CCLXXXIII. The decree of the Council of Trent on the Lord's Supper, was passed on the 11th of October 1551. Sleidan, De Stat. Rel. lib. 23.]

P [A letter is printed among Calvin's works, which is clearly an answer to this proposal of Cranmer, though Archbishop Lawrence has followed Beza in assigning it to the preceding year. It begins: "Tu quidem, illustrissime Domine, vere et prudenter in hoc tam confuso "Ecclesiæ statu nullum aptius afferri posse remedium judicas, quam si

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"inter se conveniant pii, cordati, et in Dei schola probe exercitati ho"mines, qui suum in pietatis doctrina consensum profiteantur." After mentioning the arts of the papists, and the intemperance of some reformers, he declares, that those who are in authority must not be idle, since God" eosdem sibi destinavit ministros, quorum opera sanam in "Ecclesia doctrinam ab omnibus corruptelis purget, ac incolumem ad posteros transmittat. Tibi præsertim, ornatissime Præsul, quo altiore "in specula sedes, in hanc curam, ut facis, incumbere necesse est, "Quod non ideo dico, quasi tibi addendum esse novum calcar existi66 mem; qui non modo sponte præcurris, sed aliis quoque instas volun"tarius hortator: verum ut te in tam fausto præclaroque studio, mea "gratulatione confirmem." Shortly afterwards he says: "Deinde scio "non ita unius Angliæ haberi abs te rationem, quin orbi simul universo "consulas. Regis serenissimi non modo generosa indoles, sed rara "etiam pietas merito exosculanda, quod sanctum consilium de habendo "ejusmodi conventu favore suo prosequitur, et locum in regno suo of"fert. Atque utinam impetrari posset, ut in locum aliquem docti et graves viri ex præcipuis Ecclesiis coirent, ac singulis fidei capitibus "diligenter excussis, de communi omnium sententia certum posteris "traderent doctrinam." He then declares in strong terms his zeal for the completion of the work, but enlarges on its difficulties, and excuses himself from lending his assistance. "Quantum ad me attinet," he says, " si quis mei usus fore videbitur, ne decem quidem maria, si opus “sit, ob eam rem trajicere pigeat."- "Verum tenuitatem meam fac“turam spero, ut mihi parcatur. Si votis prosequar quod ab aliis sus"ceptum erit, partibus meis defunctus ero. D. Philippus [Melancthon] "longius abest, quam ut ultro citroque commeare brevi tempore litera queant. D. Bullingerus tibi forte jam rescripsit. Mihi utinam par "studii ardori suppeteret facultas." He appears to have received soon afterwards an announcement from Cranmer, that the scheme was relinquished, and that it was now resolved to draw up a separate Confession of Faith for the Church of England. For he commences another letter thus: "Quando hoc tempore minime sperandum fuit, quod "maxime optandum erat, ut ex diversis ecclesiis, quæ puram Evangelii "doctrinam amplexæ sunt, convenirent præcipui quique doctores, ac ex 66 puro Dei verbo certam de singulis capitibus hodie controversis ac di"lucidam ad posteros confessionem ederent: consilium quod cepisti, "reverende Domine, vehementer laudo, ut mature apud se religionem Angli constituant; ne diutius rebus incertis vel minus rite compositis "quum decebat, suspensi hæreant plebis animi." He then urges the Archbishop to complete the reformation, thinking, as it appears, that the spur which he had before said was not needed, might now be administered with advantage. He complains particularly of the want of efficient pastors. "Id quominus fiat, occultis quidem artibus obsistit Satan. "Unum tamen apertum obstaculum esse intelligo, quod prædæ expositi "sunt Ecclesiæ reditus. Malum sane intolerabile. Sed præter illam "dissipationem, quæ nimis crassa est: non multo lenius mihi videtur "aliud vitium, quod ex publico Ecclesiæ proventu aluntur otiosi ven"tres, qui lingua incognita vesperas cantillent." He had already made a similar complaint respecting the revenues of the Church to the Protector Somerset, in a letter dated the 25th of July 1551, which is printed by Strype. See Calvin, Epist. pp. 134 and 135. (Genev. 1616.) Lawrence, Bampton Lectures, p. 224; Strype, Cranmer, App. No. 58.]

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