BOOK "other part of himself." But in August 1552, God deII. prived him of her. Which stroke put him for some time Anno 1550. under much sadness and indisposition both of mind and body, as appears by one of his letters.

His influence in the

under

He was alive at the accession of Queen Elizabeth to the reformation English throne: and though he came not back then to Queen Eli- England again, whence he departed upon King Edward's zabeth. death, yet, according to that great interest he had here 239 with the most eminent persons, and even the Queen herself, he neglected not by his letters to promote the reformation, and to give his grave counsel in order thereunto. And Zanchy, public professor at Stratsburgh, knowing the sway he bare here, in a letter to him in the year 1558, or 59, excited him in these words; Non dubito, quin T. P. jamdudum scripserit ad reginam, eique consuluerit quæ pro illius regni conservatione, et regni Christi instauratione facienda judicarit, &c. "That he doubted not " he had before now written to the Queen, and given her "his advice, what he judged fit to be done for the pre"servation of her kingdom, and for the restoring of the "kingdom of Christ. Yet he would not omit to pray him "to do it again and again by his repeated letters. For "I know," said he, "how great your authority is with the English, and with the Queen herself. Now certainly is "the time that you, and such as you be, should by your "counsels help so pious a Queen, and consult for the

Blamed for

in our con

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safety of so great a kingdom, yea, and succour the "whole Christian church, every where afflicted and vexed. "For we know that if Christ's kingdom be happily intro"duced into the kingdom of England, no small aid will "thence come to all the other churches dispersed through Germany, Poland, and other countries."

There is one thing that is wont to be urged against meddling him, and which makes him to this day to be somewhat ill troversies. thought of; which was, that he opposed himself so openly, by writing against the habits prescribed the clergy, and the posture of kneeling at the reception of the holy sacrament : whereby he incurred the censure of a meddling temper, and of ingratitude to that nation that so kindly had entertained him. Concerning the habits, Bucer and he

XXII.

had some controversy. The sum of which, on both parts, CHAP. Archbishop Parker drew up (upon the desire, I suppose, of Sir William Cecyl) about the year 1565, when that Anno 1550. controversy was hotly renewed again by Humfrey and Sampson. This sum whosoever is minded to see, may probably hereafter find it in the memorials of that Archbishop, if God grant life and opportunity to me to write them.

of Italians

About this time, viz. in the year 1550, or 1551, there A church was also a church of Italians constituted in London, by the constituted influence and care of our Archbishop and Sir William Cecyl, in London. under A Lasco's superintendency. This church consisted of divers Italian nations, as Florentines, Genoezes, Milanois, Venetians, and others: though several of them joined themselves with this congregation more out of worldly ends than conscience, as will appear afterward. For they had a kindness for the mass, and could not endure to hear the Pope's supremacy called in question, and inveighed against. One Michael Angelo Florio, a Florentine by birth, was ap- Michael pointed their preacher; probably brother, or kinsman, unto Angelo Simon Florio, preacher at the city of Clavenna among the ister. Rhætii, an eminent professor of the Gospel in those parts: who wrote a letter to Gratalorius, an Italian physician, concerning two whole towns in Calabria, utterly destroyed by reason of the rigor of persecution exercised there and about eight hundred or a thousand of the inhabitants put to death, because they professed the Gospel. Which letter 240 is extant in Fox, in his table of the Italian martyrs.

their min

the Arch

For the encouragement of this congregation, the Arch-The service bishop procured the members of it to be free denizens, to bishop did live and traffic here with as much freedom as natural for this church; English subjects: which they were admitted to by swearing fidelity and allegiance. For their more easy and convenient dwelling here, they often petitioned the King for new privileges and immunities, as they saw they needed them and such favour and countenance was shewn them, that they seldom failed of their suits. The Archbishop and for the also, that their preacher might be provided for, dealt with the congregation, and made them oblige themselves to provide him with all necessaries; as a dwelling, and a

minister.

BOOK Competent yearly salary.

II.

In the year 1552, Michael Angelo sued again to our Archbishop for some favour to be Anno 1550. obtained from the King; whether it were for the better establishment of his church, or for some further immunities to be granted to the members thereof, it doth not appear. But this the most reverend man readily furthered, by writing in that behalf to the Duke of Northumberland from his house at Ford, near Canterbury, the Duke being, I suppose, with the King in progress at this time. He likewise dispatched another, dated November 20, the year abovesaid, to the Secretary, entreating him to forward that cause as much as lay in him.

Divers of this church fall out

with their

mass again.

But however serviceable this their minister had been unto these Italians, in preaching the Gospel to them, and minister, soliciting the Archbishop for their benefit; yet many of and go to them carried themselves but little obliging to him. Whether it were some misbehaviour or imprudences in him, which he was not altogether void of, or his too violent declaiming against the Pope and popish doctrines, which they were not yet enough ripened in evangelical knowledge to receive, or that he too roughly charged them with the hardness of their hearts, and backwardness to receive Gospel-truths, as he did use to do: but many of them wholly withdrew from him, and went to mass again. His contribution also fell very low, not having received above five pounds in a considerable time from them. Hereupon he resorted to the Secretary, "making heavy complaints "of his own poverty, that many of his people had forsaken "his assembly, spake very slanderously against him and "his ministry, and the Gospel which he preached, after they saw and heard him in an open manner preaching against the Pope's doctrines, his tyranny and hypocrisy, "and reproving them for their unbelief, and the hardness "of their hearts." The too much vehemency and passion of this man, and his neglect of informing the judgments of these Italians in milder and more leisurely methods, I suspect to have been a great cause of this apostasy.

A conjec

ture at the

cause

thereof.

Their minister sends

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But, upon this complaint, the Secretary bade the pastor their names send him a list of the names of those that had thus beto the Secre-haved themselves, and that he himself would call them

tary, and ac

cuses them.

before him, and discourse with them. Accordingly he sent CHAP. the names of fourteen in a letter to the said Secretary, XXII. withal aggravating to him their misbehaviour, and in- Anno 1550, forming of their daily going to mass and adding, that therefore they, being free denizens, and so subjects to the English laws, ought to be punished as any Englishman 241 would be, if he heard mass. He quoted a place or two in Deuteronomy, where those that rebelled against God, the laws, and the judges, should be slain without mercy. He subjoined, that Elisha, by God's command, anointed Jehu to be King for this very purpose, that he should wholly root out the house of Ahab, and kill all the priests of Baal and thence makes his uncharitable conclusion, (more agreeable to the religion that he was so hot against,) that therefore these Italians should be so served, since they opposed the Gospel, and the King's pious proceedings. But it might make one apt not to think overfavourably of this man; a pastor, thus to turn accuser of his flock; a professor of the reformed religion to require the utmost rigor of punishment for differing in religion.

of this man

tainted.

I also find the morals of this man tainted, having once The morals made a very foul slip, being guilty of an act of uncleanness : for which Sir William Cecyl, Secretary of State, who had been his good friend, was exceedingly displeased with him, and withdrew all favour and countenance from him, calling him wicked man, and intending to inflict some severe punishment upon him; which seemed to be banishment out of the nation, or at least turning him out of his family, where he seems to have been entertained. Angelo wrote writes a him a very penitent letter, minding him of the frailty of penitent human nature, and of the mercy of God to Moses, Aaron, Secretary. David, Jonas, Peter, after their falls and that if he were forced to depart the kingdom, he must either be compelled to renounce the truth of the Gospel, or have his blood shed by the enemies thereof. This was, as I suppose, in the year 1551. In fine, he got over this brunt, and recovered mild Cecyl's favour: for I find, a year after, our Archbishop wrote to him to further a certain business of Michael Angelo at court, as much as he could.

This is all I have to say of that Italian congregation, and

letter to the

BOOK the minister thereof. For further memory of which, I II. have added in the Appendix two letters of this Michael Anno 1550. Angelo to Secretary Cecyl, whence many of the matters, LII. LIII. next above mentioned, were collected.

Num.

A French

As there was thus a German and Italian church in church also London, so also there was a third of Frenchmen, under in London. A Lasco's superintendency. One member of which, a very

honest man, and of sound religion, by the general testimony of that church, had desired to set up a printing-house for his livelihood, chiefly for printing the Liturgy, and other books of the church of England, in French, for the use of the French islands under the English subjection. In whose behalf the Superintendent readily interceded by a letter with the Secretary to procure the King's letters patents, for his license and authority so to do. The issue of which will be seen in the progress of this history. The letter I have transcribed to accompany two others of No. LIV. A Lasco in the Appendix.

242

CHAP. XXIII.

The Church at Glastonbury.

Another IN the same year, viz. 1550, another church of strangers,

church of

strangers at and they mostwhat French and Walloons, began to settle Glasten- at Glastenbury in Somersetshire. They were weavers, and bury. Their trade followed the manufacture of kersies, and cloth of that weaving. nature, as I conjecture. Their great patrons were the Duke of Somerset and Sir William Cecyl; I add, and our Archbishop, though I do not find his name mentioned in the papers I make use of, relating to this church: for there is no question but that his counsel and aid concurred in the settlement of this church, as well as those in London: and particularly as to the preacher; whom I suspect to have Valerandus been one of those learned foreign divines whom he harPollanus boured in his own house. His name was Valerandus preacher Pollanus, a man of great worth both for learning and inteintendent. grity, who had the title of Superintendent of the strangers'

their

and super