semblable in their dioceses before Candlemas day. And as for other bishops that cannot have knowledge so soon, you may give them knowledge hereof at more leisure, so that it be done before Ash Wednesday. Thus fare your lordship well.

Lambeth, Jan, 27, 1547. [1548.]

Your loving friend,

T. Cantuar.

CCLXX. To MATTHEW PARKER.

MSS.

Original.

I commend me unto you; signifying, that the Lord C.C.C.C. Protector, conceiving good opinion of your wisdom, learn- CVIII. p. ing, and earnest zeal which you bear to the setting forth of 11. God's word among the people, hath, by the advice of the Council, appointed you to preach one sermon at Paul's Cross in London, on Sunday, being the 22. day of July next, not doubting but that you will purely and sincerely set out the holy Scriptures, so as God's glory may be advanced, and the people with wholesome doctrine edified. These therefore shall be to require you to prepare yourself ready in the mean season to supply the day, time, and place to you appointed accordingly; foreseeing that you present yourself unto the Dean of Paul's, resiant at his house in Paul's Church Yard, or unto his deputy there, the Saturday before noon that you shall preach, or at the least to signify then unto him by your letters, or some sure messenger, that you will not fail to preach the Sunday; because the Cross must in no wise be disappointed or destitute of a preacher. Thus heartily fare you well. From my manor at Lambith, the 5. day of May. [1548.]

Your loving friend,

T. Cant.

CCLXXI. TO KING EDWARD VI.

To the most excellent Prince Edward VI, by the grace of God, King of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and in earth of the Church of England and Ireland immediately under God Supreme Head, your Grace's humble Subject and Chaplain Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury, wisheth abundance of all grace and godliness with a long and prosperous reign.

Cranmer's It is not unknown unto the whole world, most excellent Catechism, Prince, that your Grace's father, a King of most famous 1548.

memory, of a fervent and earnest godly disposition and tender zeal towards the setting forth of God's glory, most diligently travailed for a true and a right reformation and a quiet concord in Christ's religion throughout all his dominions; wherein undoubtedly he brought many things to a godly purpose and effect, and did abolish and take away much blindness and ignorance of God, many great errors, fond and pernicious superstitions and abuses, that had crept into this Church of England, and Ireland a long time. And I, perceiving that your Majesty, by the advice of your most dear uncle my Lord Protector, and the rest of your Grace's most honourable Council, is most desirous perfectly to finish and bring to pass that your father did most godly begin, do think that there is nothing more necessary for the furtherance hereof, then that it might be foreseen how the youth and tender age of your loving subjects may be brought up and traded in the truth of God's holy word.

For it is thought, not to me only but to many others, that neither your Grace's father should have been inforced in his time to have taken so great pains for the reformation of Christ's religion, neither yet your Highness in this your time should need with such great difficulty go about to further God's cause and his true service, with so many laws, injunctions, and proclamations, if so great negligence

[This Letter was prefixed to the translation of the Catechism of Justus Jonas, set forth by the Archbishop in 1548. See Preface.]

of the education of the youth had not been so much suffered, and the necessary points and articles of our religion and profession omitted, of those whose office and bounden duty was to have most diligently instructed the youth in the same. Or if the ancient and laudable ceremony of confirmation had continued in the old state, and been duly used of the ministers in time convenient, where an exact and strait examination was had of all such as were of full age, both of their profession that they made in baptism touching their belief and keeping of God's commandments, with a general solemn rehearsal of the said commandments and of all the articles of their faith.

Surely there can be no greater hope of any kind of persons, other to be brought to all honest conversation of living, or to be more apt to set forth and maintain all godliness and true religion, than of such as have been from childhood nourished and fed with the sweet milk, and as it were the pap of God's holy word, and bridled and kept in awe with his holy commandments. For commonly as we are in youth brought up, so we continue in age, and savour longest of that thing that we first receive and taste of. And as a fair table finely polished, though it be never so apt to receive either pictures or writings, yet it doth neither delight any men's eyes, neither yet profit any thing, except the painter take his pencil, set to his hand, and with labour and cunning replenish it with scriptures or figures as appertaineth to his science; even so the tender wits of young children, being yet naked and bare of all knowledge, through the grace of God, be apt to receive God's gifts, if they be applied and instructed by such schoolmasters as have knowledge to bring them up and lead them forward therein. And what can be more apt to be grown or painted in the tender hearts of youth, than God's holy word? What can lead them a righter way to God, to the obedience of their Prince, and all virtue and honesty of life, than the sincere understanding of God's word, which alone showeth the way how to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him? What can better keep and stay them, that they do not

suddenly and lightly fall again from their faith? What can cause them more constantly to withstand the assaults of the Devil, the world, and the flesh, and manfully to bear the cross of Christ, than to learn in their youth to practise the same? And verily it seemeth no new thing that the children of them that be godly, should be thus instructed in the faith and commandments of God even from their infancy. For doth not God command his people to teach Deut. xi. his law unto their children and childer's children? Hath not this knowledge continued from time to time amongst them, to whom God promised to be their God, and they his people? Doth it not appear by plain expressed words of 2 Tim. ii. Paul, that Timothy was brought up even from a child in holy Scriptures? Hath not the commandments of Almighty God, the articles of the Christian faith, and the Lord's Prayer, been ever necessarily, since Christ's time, required of all, both young and old, that professed Christ's name, yea though they were not learned to read? For doubtless in these three points is shortly and plainly included the necessary knowledge of the whole sum of Christ's religion, and of all things appertaining unto everlasting life.

In consideration whereof, in this time of your gracious reformation of all ungodliness, and the setting forth of God's true glory, I, knowing myself as a subject greatly bounden, and much the more by reason of my vocation, to set forward the same, am persuaded that this my small travail in this behalf taken, shall not a little help the sooner to bring to pass your godly purpose. For by this little treatiset not only the youth of your Grace's realm may learn to know God, and how they may most purely and sincerely honour, glorify, and serve Him, and may also learn their office and duty how they ought to behave themselves, first toward God, secondly towards your Majesty, and so towards all ministers under the same, towards their fathers and mothers, and all other persons of what sort or degree soever they be: but also many of the older sort, such as love God and have a zeal to his honour and glory, and yet

t

[Namely, the translation of Justus Jonas's Catechism. See Preface.]

in their youth, through negligence, were brought up in ignorance, may, by hearing of their children, learn in their age that which passed them in their youth.

And as mine intent and endeavour is to profit both, and according to mine office to bring both to the right knowledge of God, so my most earnest and humble prayer unto God continually, shall be that my good mind and desire may have good success, and take effect according to mine expectation. Which thing I assuredly hope shall come to pass, if it would please your Highness to suffer this little book, by me offered unto your Majesty, to be read, taught, and learned of the children of your most loving subjects, in whom is great hope of all grace, godliness, and virtue.

Your Grace's humble subject and chaplain,

Thomas, Archbishop of Canterbury.

CCLXXII. TO JOHN A LASCO".

Illustri Viro D. Joanni a Lasco, Amico suo carissimo,

S. D. P.

ror. Viro

Adventum tuum ad nos, alterius cujusdam negotii subito Gabbema, interventu impeditum esse doleo, non enim dubito, quin de Epist. Clatua vocatione facile tibi satisfecissem, si coram tecum rum, LII. mihi potestas colloquendi fuisset. Sed quia hoc tempore venire non potuisti, scribis tamen te venturum esse posthac, si prius ex literis nostris intellexeris, qualis vocationis tuæ tio apud nos futura sit: literis tecum agam, et quod coram copiosius fortassis dicturus eram, id per literas explicabo brevi. y Cupimus nostris Ecclesiis veram de Deo

u

[See a memoir of this Polish reformer in Gerdes, Hist. Reformat. vol. iii. p. 145; and a Collection of his Letters in the Scrinium Antiquarium of the same author, tom. ii. &c.]

* [The following extract is rather ambiguous, but it seems to imply that John a Lasco had been invited to England in the preceding year. "Nuntium mittimus Witebergam ad Philippum [Melancthonem], aut "ubi is sit, scribimusque ad illum de vocatione in Angliam, de qua "hodie ad te scripsi." Letter from John a Lasco to Albert Hardenberg, Embd. 11 Oct. 1547. in Gerdes, Scrin. Antiq. tom. ii. p. 635.]

["In the year 1548 Cranmer propounded a great and weighty bu"siness to Melancthon; and a matter that was likely to prove highly