BOOK "able to prove his vocation to be such and the same, that "all the ministers in Geneva use to have. The lord presiAnno 1578,"dent upon this subjoined his opinion: that his lordship "[the lord treasurer] could judge what flame this spark "was like to breed, if it should kindle: for it could not but "be ill taken of all the godly learned both at home, and in "all the reformed churches abroad, that we should allow "of the popish massing priests in our ministry, and dis"allow of the ministers made in a reformed church. He "added, that truly the urging of it in the conference that "already they had had, made him greatly to doubt, that at "the next they, the commissioners, should much differ in "opinion for this matter; as already there had been great "difference grown between the archbishop and the dean of "York upon this case. And for himself, he must confess "to his lordship plainly, that he thought in conscience he might not agree to the sentence of deprivation for that "cause only. 66 "Whereupon he wished, that as for many other causes "he could rehearse, but especially this that he had noted, (which indeed was the chief of all,) that they, the com"missioners, might be admonished [i. e. by the council] be"fore the next court day, to proceed in other matters con"cerning the good government of the house, and such like "causes; whereof there is store. And in case of depriva"tion, especially for this cause of his ministry, to stay to "deal till another time, when with better advice it may be "proceeded in: which, he said, might easily be done. For "their commission was limited to no certain time; but had "continuance, till her majesty should please to revoke it.” How far further this commission went with this church, I know not; but the dean's death, happening little more than half a year after, might prevent their proceeding further with him than hath already been declared. I do not find any act of parliament all this while urged in Whittingham's behalf; though divers years afterwards it was said to have been done in such another case, I mean in that of Mr. Travers; who had been ordered by a presby XI. tery at Antwerp: when, his orders being called in question, CHAP. the statute of the 13 Eliz. was alleged for the validity of his ordination. By which act of parliament their ordination Anno 1578. was allowed, who had been ordered by another order than The sta that which was here established: which was for the allow- 13 Eliz. tute of in Whit ing their ordination, who had been ordered by another or- tingham's der; being made of like capacity to enjoy any place of mi- case. nistry within England, as they that had been ordered according to that is now by law in this case established. Which comprehended such as were made priests according to the order of the church of Rome. Hence they inferred, that were on Whittingham's side, that hence it must needs be, that the law of a Christian land, professing the gospel, should be as favourable for a minister of the word as for a popish priest. Which also was so found (as Travers asserts in his Supplication to the council) in Mr. Whittingham's Supplica case. tion to the council. Frankford. I add further this note of Whittingham, that he and his A note of party in the time of the exile of the English in queen ham's trouWhittingMary's reign, at Frankford, used not the English form of bles at prayer, but the form used by those of Geneva, the purest 525 reformed church in Christendom; as he writ and styled it in a letter to a friend in England. And this occasioned those troubles and differences among the exiles there. the dean of Durham. In short, as for the rest of the members of that house, The irreguand their management of that church and the divine service larities of performed there, thus did the archbishop inform the lord and chapter treasurer, in another letter dated in April: "That arch"deacon Pilkington, and one young Bunny, precise men, "wrought all the trouble." The former had been before the council; and was, he said, too gently used; and that made him brag: adding, "If your lordship knew the usage "of that house, verily you would abhor it." [Meaning the college, and their irregular ways of the public worship, and other customs, and of embezzling the revenues.] BOOK Anno 1578. Abbot at the bi shop of Ely's house. CHAP. XII. Abbot Feckenham at the bishop of Ely's. Conferences with AND It was the custom in this queen's reign, by her gentleness and favour, to commit the popish prelates, and such others in orders that had been of note, to the houses and custody of the bishops. Feckenham, late abbot of St. Peter's, Westminster, was retained with Cox, bishop of Ely; with whom he had been now a year or more: and the bishop courteously suffered him to eat at his table. The queen had signified her desire to that bishop, to use his endeavour to bring the abbot, being a man of learning and temper, to acknowledge her supremacy, and to come to the church. Now what the bishop had done herein, he acquainted the lord treasurer by a letter dated in the month of August. First, giving this character of him: "That he was a gentle person, but in popish religion too, too obdurate. And that he had often confer66 ence with him. And other learned men at his request had 526" conferred with him also; touching going to church, and "touching taking the oath to the queen's majesty. The Conferen ces with him. 66 66 66 bishop added, that he had examined him, whether the pope were not an heretic: alleging to him the saying of "Christ, Reges gentium dominantur ; [i. e. The kings of the 66 XII. "gentiles exercise lordship over them.] Vos autem non sic; CHAP. "i. e. But it shall not be so among you. That the people "in all his government did contrary to this. And that they Anno 1578. "did maintain it by all means, by fire and sword, &c. That "his answer was, That that was the sorest place in all scripture against him." And further added, "That when he was in some hope of his conformity, he [the abbot] said unto him, All these things that be laid against me, with "leisure I could answer them. And further said, That he "was fully persuaded in his religion, which he will stand "to. When I heard this, said the bishop, I gave him “over; and received him no more to my table." And in some zeal subjoining, "Whether it be meet that the ene"mies of God and the queen should be fostered in our "houses, and not used according to the laws of the realm, "I leave to the judgment of others. What my poor judg"ment is, I will express, being commanded. I think my "house the worse, being pestered with such a guest. Yet "for obedience sake I have tried him thus long. "And finally, he wished that he and the rest of his company were examined and tried in open conference in the "universities: but not as good Cranmer, good Latymer, "good Ridley, and others more; from disputations to the "fire. In the mean season, this my guest might have some "imprisonment in the university, where learned men might "have access unto him." This letter the bishop dated from Ely, styling it, that unsavoury isle with turves and dried up loads, the 29th of August, 1578. thereof. Dr. Perne, dean of Ely, was one of those the said bishop Dean of Ely desired to have some discourse with the said Feckenham confers with ; him; and which he undertook some months before. And what success the success he had, take from his own account thereof, given to the said lord treasurer; viz. "That he had divers conferences "with Mr. Feckenham, sometime abbot of Westminster, (and that in the presence of divers learned men,) at the request of the bishop of Ely, unto whose custody he was "then committed. And this, he said, he the rather wrote "to his lordship, for that in his opinion it was very good II. BOOK "and expedient to have those things known unto his ho"nour and unto others, which the said Feckenham had in Anno 1578.“ his said conferences confessed and granted unto him and "others, before Mr. Nicolls, his honour's chaplain, and be"fore Mr. Stanton, chaplain to the bishop of Ely. And at "another time he had granted and acknowledged unto him, "in the presence of Mr. Holt, a preacher, and of one Mr. "Crowe, reader of the divinity lecture in the cathedral "church of Ely. Feckenham acknowledged the premacy ec "First, He did confess, that he did acknowledge the supremacy of the queen's majesty in causes ecclesiastical, in queen's su- “such manner as it is set forth and declared in her majesty's clesiastical. Injunctions, set forth by her highness and her clergy, for "the true understanding of the words of the act of parlia"ment made for the same. Which injunction I did read "unto him, being printed. But that, as Dr. Perne added, "he did mislike these words in the act of parliament, that 527" she should be supreme governor, as well in causes eccle"siastical as civil. Whereby, he said, she had authority "to preach and minister sacraments, and consecrate bishops, &c. Which was otherwise declared in her majesty's "said Injunctions. The which he did very well allow. Allowed the service in the vulgar tongue. Found no fault with the Com "Secondarily, He did very well allow to have the com"mon service in the church to be read in the vulgar tongue "to all the people that should hear the same. And he did profess unto me, saith Dr. Perne, in his conscience and "before God, that he did take the fourteenth chapter of the "first epistle to the Corinthians to be as truly meant of "public prayer in the congregation, to the edifying of the people, as of public preaching, or prophesying. But he "would have this allowed by the authority of the bishop of "Rome. 66 "Thirdly, Where he, the said dean of Ely, had made a "discourse, and a comparison between the Book and Ormon Prayer. "der of Common Prayer used in the church of England "this day, with the book and order of service used in the "church in the time of popery, he saying, that he [Fecken"ham] could find no fault with the Book of Common Ser |