1557. Mary. ridiculous foolishness. For what was this, first of all? Was it not frivolous, that by the space of three years together, mass should be sung in those places A.D. where Bucer and Phagius rested in the Lord, without any offence at all? and as soon as they took it to be an offence, straightway to be an offence, if any were heard there? or that it should not be as good then as it was before? as if that then upon the sudden it had been a heinous matter to celebrate it in that place, and that the fault that was past should be counted the grievouser, because it was done of longer time before. Moreover, this was a matter of none effect, that Bucer and Phagius only should be digged up, as who should say, that they only had embraced the religion which they call heresy. It was well known how one of the burgesses of the town had been minded toward the popish religion; who, when he should die, willed neither ringing of bells, diriges, nor any other such kind of trifles to be done for him in his anniversary, as they term it, but rather that they should go with instruments of music before the mayor and council of the city, to celebrate his memorial, and also that yearly a sermon should be made to the people, bequeathing a piece of money to the preacher for his labour. Neither might he omit in that place to speak of Ward the painter, who albeit he were a man of no reputation, yet was he not to be despised for the religion's sake which he diligently followed. Neither were divers other more to be passed over with silence, who were known of a certainty to have continued in the same sect, and to rest in other church-yards in Cambridge, and rather through the whole realm, and yet defiled not their masses at all. All the which persons (forasmuch as they were all of one opinion) ought all to have been taken up, or else all to have been let lie with the same religion: unless a man would grant that it lieth in their power to make what they list lawful and unlawful, at their own pleasure. In the condemnation of Bucer and Phagius, to say the truth, they used too much cruelty, and too much violence. For howsoever it went with the doctrine of Bucer, certainly they could find nothing whereof to accuse Phagius, inasmuch as he wrote nothing that came abroad, saving a few things that he had translated out of the Hebrew and Chaldee tongues into Latin. After his coming into the realm he never read, he never disputed, he never preached, he never taught; for he deceased soon after, so that he could in that time give no occasion for his adversaries to take hold on, whereby to accuse him whom they never heard speak. In that they hated Bucer so deadly, for the allowable marriage of the clergy, it was their own malice conceived against him, and a very slander raised by themselves: for he had for his defence in that matter (over and besides other helps) the testimony of pope Pius the second, who in a certain place saith, that upon weighty considerations priests' wives were taken from them, but for more weighty causes were to be restored again. And also the statute of the emperor, they call it the Interim, by the which it is enacted, that such of the clergy as were married, should not be divorced from their wives. Then, turning his style from this matter to the university, he reproved in few words their unfaithfulness towards these men. For if the Lord suffered not the bones of the king of Edom, being a wicked man, to be taken up and burnt without revengement (as saith Amos), let us assure ourselves he will not suffer so notable a wrong done to his godly preachers, unrevenged. Afterward, when he came to the condemnation (which we told you in the former action was pronounced by Perne the vice-chancellor, in the name of them all), being somewhat more moved at the matter, he admonished them how much it stood them in hand, to use great circumspectness, what they decreed upon any man by their voices, in admitting or rejecting any man to the promotions and degrees of the university. For that he which should take his authority from them, should be a great prejudice to all the other multitude, which (for the opinion that he had of their doctrine, judgment, allowance, and knowledge) did think nothing but well of them. For it would come to pass, that if they would bestow their promotions upon none but meet persons, and let the unmeet go as they come, both the commonwealth should receive much commodity and profit by them, and besides that, they should highly please God. But, if they persisted to be negligent in doing thereof, they should grievously endamage the commonweal, and worthily work their own shame (1) This was Fande, sometime mayor of the town. and reproach. Over and besides that, they should greatly offend the majesty of God, whose commandment, not to bear false witness, they should in so doing break and violate. In the mean while that he was speaking these and many other things before his audience, many of the university, to set out and defend Bucer withal, beset the walls of the church and church-porch on both sides with verses; some in Latin, some in Greek, and some in English, in the which they made a manifest declaration how they were minded both toward Bucer and Phagius. Finally, when his sermon was ended, they made common supplication and prayers. After thanks rendered to God for many other things, but in especial for restoring of the true and sincere religion, every man departed his way. Forasmuch as mention hath been made of the death of the worthy and famous clerk, Martin Bucer, and of the burning of his bones after his death, it shall not be unfruitful, as the place here serveth, to induce the testimony or epitaph of Dr. Redman, which came not yet in print, upon the decease of that man. The Epitaph or Funeral Verse of Dr. Redman, upon the Death of Et tu livor edax procul hinc abscede, maligna Dæmonibus similes homines quæ redditis, almam Fœdatis atque imaginem Quam nostro impressit generi pater ille supremus, Contemptrix odii et mendacis nescia fuci Adesto, sancta Veritas. Dicito quis qualisque, elatum funere nuper Quem vidimus tam flebili? Est inquam miserâ hâc defunctus luce Bucerus, Doctrinæ radios qui totum, solis ad instar, Hunc diræ nuper sublatum vulnere mortis Et pullata gemit mærens schola Cantabrigensis, Ergo, quasi obstructo doctrinæ fonte, querelas Agnoscit nunquam se talem habuisse magistrum Non unquam cathedra gravisa est præside tanto, Cujus et ingenii et doctrinæ munera summum Integritas morum, gravitas, prudentia, sermo Et sale conditus, qualem vult esse piorum Apostoli sententia. Accessit zelus fervens et præsule dignus, Peccata semper arguens. Nunquam, desidiæ aut languori deditus, ullum Mary. A.D. 1557. Mary. A. D. 1557. Peter wife. Credibile est nimio fatum accelerasse labore, Sed frustra laudes angusto carmine nitor Ergo, Bucere, scholæ et suggestûs gloria sacri, Æternum in superis fœlix jam vivito regnis, Terrenis spoliis hujus miseri atque caduci, Quod est sepulchro conditum : Christus depositum reddet cum fœnore magno, The Despiteful Handling and Madness of the Papists toward TAKEN UP FROM HER GRAVE AT THE COMMANDMENT OF And because the one university should not mock the other, like cruelty was also declared upon the dead body of Peter Martyr's wife' at Oxford, an honest, grave, and sober matron, while she lived, and Commen- of poor people always a great helper, as many that be dwelling there dation of can right well testify. In the year of our Lord 1552 she departed Martyr's this life, with great sorrow of all those needy persons, whose necessities many times and often she had liberally eased and relieved. Now when Brooks, bishop of Gloucester, Nicholas Ormanet, datary, Robert Morewen, president of Corpus-Christi-college, Cole and Wright, doctors of the civil law, came thither as the cardinal's visitors, they, among other things, had in commission to take up this good woman again out of her grave, and to consume her carcase with fire, not doubting but that she was of the same religion that her husband had professed before, when he read the king's lecture there. And to make a show that they would do nothing disorderly, they called all those before them, that had any acquaintance with her or her husband. They ministered an oath unto them, that they should not conceal whatsoever was demanded. In fine, their answer was, that they knew not what religion she was of, by reason they understood not her language. Jurats sworn against her. nest in To be short, after these visitors had sped the business they came for, they gat them to the cardinal again, certifying him that, upon due inquisition made, they could learn nothing upon which by the law Cardinal they might burn her. Notwithstanding the cardinal did not leave the Pole ear- matter so, but wrote down his letters a good while after to Marshal, burning then dean of Frideswide's, that he should dig her up, and lay her out men's of christian burial, because she was interred nigh unto St. Frideswide's relics, sometime had in great reverence in that college. Dr. Dr. Mar- Marshal, like a pretty man, calling his spades and mattocks together of Frides in the evening, when he was well whittled, caused her to be taken up and buried in a dunghill. dead bodies. shal dean wide's. Howbeit, when it pleased God under good queen Elizabeth to give quietness to his church, long time persecuted with prison and death, then Dr. Parker, archbishop of Canterbury, Edmund Grindall, bishop (1) See "Historia vera," etc., pp. 197-203.-ED. wife's duced out and laid cent monument. of London, Richard Goodrick, with divers others her majesty's high com- Mary. missioners in matters of religion (nothing ignorant how far the adver- A.D. saries of the truth had transgressed the bounds of all humanity, in vio- 1557. lating the sepulchre or grave of that good and virtuous woman), willed Peter certain of that college in which this uncourteous touch was attempted Martyr's or done, to take her out of that unclean and dishonest place where she bones relay, and solemnly, in the face of the whole town, to bury her again in of the a more decent and honest monument. For though the body being dunghill, once dead, no great estimation were to be had, how or where the bones in a dewere laid; yet was some reverence to be used toward her for sex and womanhood sake. Besides, to say the truth, it was great shame, that he which had travelled so far, at king Edward's request, from the place wherein he dwelt quietly, and had taken so earnest pains (being an old man) in reading and setting forth the truth all he could, with learning to teach and instruct, and so well deserved of that university, should, with so ungentle a recompense of ingratitude, be rewarded Great inagain, as to have his wife, that was a godly woman, a stranger, good to showed to many, especially to the poor, and hurtful to none, either in word or Martyr. deed, without just deserving, and beside their own law, not proceeding against her according to the order thereof, spitefully to be laid in a stinking dunghill. gratitude Peter James of Peter wife To all good natures the fact seemed odious, and of such as be Master indued with humanity, utterly to be abhorred. Wherefore master Calfield. James Calfield, then sub-dean of the college, diligently provided, that from Marshal's dunghill she was restored and translated to her proper place again, yea, and withal coupled her with Frideswide's bones, that The bones in case any cardinal will be so mad hereafter to remove this woman's Martyr's bones again, it shall be hard for them to discern the bones of her, coupled from the other. And to the intent the same might be notified to the with the minds of men the better, the next day after, which was Sunday, master st. FriRogerson preached unto the people, in which sermon by the way he declared the rough dealing of the adversaries, which were not contented. to practise their cruelty against the living, but that they must also rage against one that was dead, and had lain two years in her grave. God grant them once to see their own wickedness. Amen. And thus much touching the noble acts and strangeness of this worthy cardinal in both the universities; whereunto it shall not be impertinent, here also consequently to adjoin and set forth to the eyes of the world, the blind and bloody articles set out by cardinal Pole, to be inquired upon, within his diocese of Canterbury; whereby it may the better appear what yokes and snares of fond and fruitless traditions were laid upon the poor flock of Christ, to entangle and oppress them with loss of life and liberty; by the which, wise men have to see what godly fruits proceeded from that catholic church and see of Rome. In which, albeit thou seest, good reader, some good articles interspersed withal, let that nothing move thee; for else how could such poison be ministered, but it must have some honey to relish the reader's taste. Here follow the articles set forth by cardinal Pole, to be inquired in his ordinary visitation, within his diocese of Canterbury. bones of deswide. Mary. A.D. 1557. Cardinal Pole's Articles touching the Clergy. First, Whether the divine service in the church at times, days, hours, be observed and kept duly, or no. 2. Item, Whether the parsons, vicars, and curates do comely and decently in their manners and doings behave themselves, or no. 3. Item, Whether they do reverently and duly minister the sacraments or sacramentals, or no. 4. Item, Whether any of their parishioners do die without ministration of the sacraments, through the negligence of their curates, or no. 5. Item, Whether the said parsons, vicars, or curates, do haunt taverns or alehouses, increasing thereby infamy and slander, or no. 6. Item, Whether they be diligent in teaching the midwives how to christen children in time of necessity, according to the canons of the church, or no. 7. Item, Whether they see that the font be comely kept, and have holy water always ready for children to be christened. 8. Item, If they do keep a book of all the names of them that be reconciled to the duty of the church. 9. Item, Whether there be any priests, that late unlawfully had women under pretensed marriage, and hitherto are not reconciled; and to declare their names and dwelling-places. 10. Item, Whether they do diligently teach their parishioners the articles of the faith, and the ten commandments. 11. Item, Whether they do decently observe those things that do concern the service of the church, and all those things that tend to a good and christian life, according to the canons of the church. 12. Item, Whether they do devoutly in their prayers pray for the prosperous estate of the king and queen's majesties. 13. Item, Whether the said parsons and vicars do sufficiently repair their chancels, rectories, and vicarages, and do keep and maintain them sufficiently repaired and amended. 14. Item, Whether any of them do preach or teach any erroneous doctrine, contrary to the catholic faith and unity of the church. 15. Item, Whether any of them do say the divine service, or do minister the sacraments in the English tongue, contrary to the usual order of the church. 16. Item, Whether any of them do suspiciously keep any women in their houses, or do keep company with men suspected of heresies, or of evil opinion. 17. Item, Whether any of them that were under pretence of lawful matrimony married, and now reconciled, do privily resort to their pretensed wives, or that the said women do privily resort unto them. 18. Item, Whether they do go decently apparelled, as it becometh sad, sober, and discreet ministers; and whether they have their crowns and beards shaven. 19. Item, Whether any of them do use any unlawful games, as dice, cards, and other like, whereby they grow to slander and evil report. 20. Item, Whether they do keep residence and hospitality upon their benefices, and do make charitable contributions, according to all the laws ecclesiastical. 21. Item, Whether they do keep the book of registers of christenings, buryings, and marriages, with the names of the godfathers and godmothers. His Articles touching the Lay-people. First, Whether any manner of person, of what estate, degree, or condition soever he be, do hold, maintain, or affirm any heresies, errors, or erroneous opinions, contrary to the laws ecclesiastical, and the unity of the catholic church. 2. Item, Whether any person do hold, affirm, or say that in the blessed sacrament of the altar there is not contained the real and substantial presence of Christ; or that by any manner of means do contemn and despise the said blessed sacrament, or do refuse to do reverence or worship thereunto. 3. Item, Whether they do contemn or despise by any manner of means any other of the sacraments, rites, or ceremonies of the church, or do refuse or deny auricular confession. |