· I. BOOK hand, these words; "The witnesses against him were Bradkirk, priest, Shether, Marden, Colman ;" adding, "These Anno 1543. « four be witnesses against all the articles of Ridley and "Scory, in the first detection made to me two years past.” Then follow more accusations of Scory. He preached in August last, in the chapter-house of Christ's Church, That no man may pray in any wise in Latin, or other tongue, except he understand what he prayeth: and that priests and clerks do offend, taking any money or reward for saying dirige and mass. He said, that some preachers brought in their sermons Gesta Romanorum, persuading to the people, that it was the Gospel or the Bible. Another time, anno 1541, he preached in Lent in Christ's Church, Canterbury, That only faith justifies; and he that doth deny that only faith doth justify, would deny, if he durst be so bold, that Christ doth justify. He preached at Christ's Church another time, That the supper of the Lord, which is Sacrificium et Hostia, is not Hostia pro peccatis, but Hostia Laudis. He preached at Faversham, anno 1542, in the Feast of Dedication, That the dedication of material churches was instituted for the bishops' profits; and that he could not see by Scripture that they might use any such fashions for that purpose, as for conjuration. And then they must conjure the Devil out of the ground, or out of the lime and stones. And if so, then it were as necessary for every man's house to be 107 consecrate or dedicate. Admit, quoth he, that the dedica tion of the same were lawful, yet the bishops should always preach, (for that is their office;) and other men might and may consecrate them as well as they. Item, This sumptuous adorning of churches is against the old fashion of the primitive church. They had no such copes, nor chalices, nor other jewels, nor gildings, nor paintings of images, as we now have. And therefore, if I were curate, I would sell all such things, or lay them to pledge to help the poor. 66 At Christmas last there was a general procession by the King's Majesty, and Mr. Scory preached these words: Every country hath a custom to choose a patron. As Enggland hath chosen St. George; Scotland, St. Andrew, &c. thinking rather by intercession of saints to obtain the 66 XXV. "victory of their enemies. But, good people, quoth he, for- CHAP. "asmuch as saints be circumscript, it is not possible for the "saint that is in the north to hear the prayer that is made Anno 1543. "in the south; nor that saint that is in the south to hear "the prayer that is made in the north." But this last passage of the Christmas sermon hath a cross struck through it. Ridley, the prebendary, was charged, Sept. 22, 1543, that he preached at St. Stephen's, in the Rogation-week, anno Reg. 32, that auricular confession was but a mere positive law, and ordained as a godly means for the sinner to come to the priest for counsel; but he could not find it in Scripture. And that there was no meeter terms to be given to the ceremonies of the Church, than to call them beggarly ceremonies. That Te Deum hath been sung commonly in English at Herne, where the said Mr. Doctor is Vicar. Brooks, one of the six preachers, was accused for preaching, That all masters and mistresses were bound to eat eggs, butter, and cheese in Lent, to give example to their households to do the same. [This the papists thought a breaking of Lent, to allow this eating of white-meats, whereas fish only ought to be eaten.] And he thought that the ceremonies of the Church were but beggarly ceremonies, and that was the meetest term he could give them. Thomas Carden, Vicar of Lime, in a Lenten-sermon, anno 1543, said, He supposed St. Katharine was rather a devil in hell, than a saint in heaven. And that the people said naught, and that this term was naught to say, That they should receive their Maker at Easter; but they should say, we shall receive our housel. He preached, That the water in the font is no better than other water is. Drum, one of the six preachers in the year 1543, preached in a sermon made in Christ's Church, that we may not pray in an unknown tongue; for if we do, we do but mock with God, and of God we be mocked. As if a man do come to a lord, and babble to him words he knoweth not, the lord will but mock him, and account him for a fool. So thy prayer, man, not understood, is but babbling; and for that before God thou art but a fool. Your psalmody and song in the church is so taken with God, if that you, which do occupy yourselves therein, do not understand it. And BOOK thou that so babblest dost break the command of God: for I. it is written, Non accipies nomen Dei in vanum. And you Anno 1543. do call on God vainly, when you do call upon him in a 108 tongue that you understand not. Wherefore to such as Reflections upon the former presentments. know not the Latin it must be needful to pray in the mother-tongue. Item, That the material church is a thing made and ordained to content the affections of men, and is not the thing that pleaseth God, nor that God requires; but is a thing that God doth tolerate for the weakness of men. For as the father contenteth his child with an apple, or a hobby-horse; not because these things do delight the father, but because the child, ruled by affections, is more desirous of these things than the father is rejoiced in the deed: so Almighty God, condescending to the infirmities of man, and his weakness, doth tolerate material churches, gorgeously built, and richly decked; not because he requires, or is pleased with such things. This Drum was one of the Cambridge men that Cardinal Wolsey transplanted into his college at Oxon, and who suffered imprisonment there some time after with Cox and Frith, and divers others of the same college, for matters of religion. But however, Drum afterwards fell away into papistry. Lancaster, Parson of Pluckley, useth not in the churchporch any hally-water, according to the laudable custom of the Church. A great part of his parish useth not to receive hally-bread. Going on procession, he useth not to rehearse Sancta Maria, nor any other saints' names. The Curate of Much Mongam, going on procession, refuseth, and will in no wise sing nor say the Litany in such manner as all other curates do. All these collections I have made out of the original of this visitation of the Archbishop. Wherein may be seen the particular matters in these times vented and tossed about in the pulpits; the trifling way of popish preaching, consisting in ridiculous lying fables and stories, as is used still in the popish countries; and with how much more solidity, truth, and reason, the sermons of those who favoured the Gospel were replenished. We may observe here also, how diligent our Archbishop was in his care of his diocese, and the pains XXV. he took to come to a perfect detection of his clergy, in CHAP. order to their regulation, and divers other things, which an ingenious reader will take notice of. 66 66 Anno 1543. daries and by the Arch The Archbishop had all the prebendaries and preachers The prebenbefore him in his consistory at Croydon on Trinity-Sunday preachers was twelvemonth; where he argued with them, instructed, admonished rebuked, exhorted them, according as he saw needful for bishop. every man, with relation unto the articles above said. He told Serles, who had preached in favour of images in churches, as representatives of saints, and not idols, "That Imago and Idolum was one thing; but the one was the "Latin, the other the Greek." To which Gardiner, a prebend of the Church, replied, "that he did not think that an image and an idol was one, but that an image, not "abused with honour, is an image, and not an idol." This saying of the Archbishop did so gall them, that they took occasion after, in their sermons, to confute it. And they lyingly reported in Canterbury, that the Archbishop should say, he would be even with Gardiner, or that Gardiner should repent his reasoning with him. Whereas all that 109 Cranmer said was, that the communication that Gardiner had that day should be repeated again at his Grace's coming to Canterbury. The same day the Archbishop told them, that he had set in their church six preachers, three of the old learning, and three of the new. Now Gardiner told him, he thought that would not be for the most quietness in preachers. The Archbishop replied, that he had shewed the King's Grace what he had done in that matter, and that the King's pleasure was, that it should be so. He then also gave them warning, that none should inveigh against others in their sermons. BOOK Anno 1543. bendaries the Arch bishop. 66 CHAP. XXVI. A black Cloud over the Archbishop. The pre- SOON after this, a great and black cloud hung over our plot against Archbishop's head, that threatened to break upon him in thunder and lightning. The prebendaries and others of the church of Canterbury, for the most part, were addicted to the Pope and the old superstitions: which the Archbishop's endeavour to abolish, and to bring in truer knowledge of religion among them, caused them to do what they could to oppose him. And indeed they usually carried themselves disobligingly enough to him: which made him say to one of them, viz. Gardiner, alias Sandwich, "You and your company hold me short; but I will hold you as short." They seemed now to have a fair advantage against him, upon account of the statute of the six Articles: which the King at this time stood much upon the execution of; and did give out, that he required justices and others, his officers, in their several places, to give notice of all disobedience against it. The Bishop of Winchester also was now in great favour with the King, a constant adversary to Canterbury, and implacably set against the new learning, as it was then called. He thought to take this opportunity to deal so effectually with the King, as to get the Gospel destroyed, and all that adhered to it. And moreover, about this time was given out a saying ordinarily, that "the Bishop of Winchester had "bent his bow to shoot at some of the head deer:" meaning, as the issue made manifest, the Archbishop of Canterbury and Queen Katharine Par, and others of the court. Winchester manager. And to carry on his purpose, he, being a privy-counsellor the chief himself, had an understanding with some of the council, who were of his mind, and ready to second these his ends: as among the rest was Baker, the Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations. These were his confidents at home. Abroad, to be his solicitor and his great agitator, he had a very fit man for his purpose, one Dr. London, Warden of New College, Oxon, Prebend of Shipton in the church of |