BOOK II. "well as other meat. we ought to keep it. Anno 1549. “ dispensed withal, as Gardiner's judgment 66 Now as long as it goeth so politicly, Therefore all, except those that be sick, impotent persons, women with child, old folk, &c. ought to live in an ordinary obedience "to those laws, and not to do against the same in any wise.” Gardiner urged the great inconvenience these rhymes of a rhyme against Lent might occasion: "That they could serve for "nothing but to learn the people to rail, and to make "others forbear to make their usual provisions of fish against the ensuing year, fearing Lent to be sick, as the rhyme purported, and like to die." against Lent. Latimer counsels the King about 66 66 About these times there arose much talk of the King's matching. The Protestants were much afraid of his marmarriage. rying with some foreign princess abroad, that might turn his heart from religion. But the popishly affected did their endeavours to persuade him to please himself with some lady abroad, as best agreeable with politic ends, as the enlarging of his dominions, and the surety and defence of his countries. Some therefore put Latimer upon giving the King counsel in this matter from the pulpit. So he advised the King, "to choose him one that is of God, that is, which is of the "household of faith; and such an one as the King can "find in his heart to love, and lead his life in pure and "chaste espousage with. Let him choose a wife that fears "God. Let him not choose a proud wanton, and one full "only of rich treasures and worldly pomp." Foreign protestants ward. The sentiments of the protestant foreigners concerning their offer the present English state deserves a particular remark. to King Ed- They took such great joy and satisfaction in this good King, and his establishment of religion, that the heads of them, Bullinger, Calvin, and others, in a letter to him, offered to make him their defender, and to have bishops in their churches as there were in England, with the tender of their service to assist and unite together. This nettled the learned at the council of Trent, who came to the knowledge of it by some of their private intelligencers; and they verily thought, that all the heretics, as they called them, would 208 now unite among themselves, and become one body, receiving the same discipline exercised in England. Which if it should happen, and that they should have heretical XV. bishops near them in those parts, they concluded that Rome CHAP. and her clergy would utterly fall. Whereupon were sent two of their emissaries from Rotterdam into England, who Anno 1549. were to pretend themselves Anabaptists, and preach against baptizing infants, and preach up rebaptizing, and a fifth monarchy upon earth. And besides this, one D. G. authorized by these learned men, dispatched a letter written in May 1549, from Delf in Holland, to two bishops, whereof Winchester was one, signifying the coming of these pretended Anabaptists, and that they should receive them and cherish them, and take their parts, if they should chance to receive any checks: telling them, that it was left to them to assist in this cause, and to some others, whom they knew to be well affected to the mother-church. This letter is lately put in print. Sir Henry Sydney first met with it in Queen Foxes and Elizabeth's closet, among some papers of Queen Mary's. brands, He transcribed it into a book of his, called, The Romish Part ii. Policies. It came afterwards into the hands of Archbishop Usher; and was transcribed thence by Sir James Ware. Let it be remembered here, and noted, that about this time Winchester was appointed, with Ridley Bishop of Rochester, to examine certain Anabaptists in Kent. I find no bishops consecrated this year. Fire CHAP. XVI. Ridley made Bishop of London. The Communion Book reviewed. made London. RIDLEY, Bishop of Rochester, was designed to succeed Anno 1550. Boner, lately deprived, in the bishopric of London; and, Ridley April 3, took his oath, an half year being almost spent be- Bishop of fore he entered upon the care of that see, after Boner's deprivation. At his entrance, he was exceeding wary not to do his predecessor the least injury in goods that belonged to him. He had not one pennyworth of his moveable goods; for if any were found and known to be his, he had license to convey them away, otherwise they were safely preserved letter, letters of the martyrs. BOOK for him. There was some quantity of lead lay in the house, II. which he used about it and the church; but Ridley paid Anno 1550. for it, as Boner's own officers knew. He continued Boner's Ridley's receiver, one Staunton, in his place. He paid fifty-three or among the fifty-five pounds for Boner's own servants' common liveries and wages, which was Boner's own debt remaining unpaid after his deposition. He frequently sent for old Mrs. Boner, his predecessor's mother, calling her his mother, and caused her to sit in the uppermost seat at his own table; as also for his sister, one Mrs. Mongey. It was observed, how Ridley welcomed the old gentlewoman, and made as much of her as though she had been his own mother: and though sometimes the lords of the council dined with him, he would not let her be displaced, but would say, By your Lordships' favour, this place of right and custom is for my mother Boner. But to see the base ingratitude of Boner; when he was restored again in Queen Mary's reign, he 209 used Ridley far otherwise than Ridley had used him: for he would not allow the leases which Ridley had made, which was in danger to redound to the utter ruin and decay of many poor men. He had a sister with three children, whom he married to one Shipside, a servant of his, and provided for them. This sister Boner turned out of all, and endeavoured the destruction of Shipside, had not Bishop Hethe delivered him. Ridley, in his offices, and in an iron chest in his bedchamber, had much plate, and considerable quantities of other goods; all which Boner seized upon : insomuch that Ridley, but a little before his burning, wrote a supplicatory letter to the Queen to take this into her consideration, "That the poor men might enjoy their leases, "and years renewed, for that they were made without fraud 66 or covin, either for their parts, or his; and the old rents "always reserved to the see, without any kind of damage "thereof: or at least, that they might be restored to their "former leases and years, and might have rendered to them "again such sums of money as they paid him and the chapter, as fines for their leases and years taken from "them. Which fines he desired the Queen would com"mand might be made good out of the plate and other "things he left in his house; half whereof would disburse 66 XVI. "those fines." This did so much run in the good man's CHAP. mind, that, at the time of his burning, he desired the Lord Williams, then present, to remember this his suit to the Anno 1550. Queen. Which he promised him he would do. But what effect it had I cannot tell. vacant. In the vacancy of the church of Rochester, by the remove Rochester of Ridley, the Archbishop committed the spiritualities to William Cook, LL. D. April 18. The nobility and gentry this year flying so much upon Bucer the spoil of the church, Bucer, by the Archbishop's instiga- writes to Dorset, not tion, as well as his own inclinations, wrote to the Marquis to spoil the of Dorset to forbear, dissuading him from spoiling the church. Miscellan. church of her maintenance. In which letter he hath these expressions: Antiquum dictum est, neminem posse vere ditari MSS. furtis aut rapinis quibus invaduntur res aliena; multo minus C.C.C.C. peculatu, quo defraudatur respublica. Quem igitur habeat D. sensum Dei, qui dubitet, minime omnium posse cujusquam opes augeri salutariter sacrilegiis, quibus acciduntur res ecclesiastica? Sunt nimium amplæ hæ opes, addictæ ecclesiis; et in luxum permulti eas diripiunt. Homines plane otiosi; nec ullam reipublicæ conferentes utilitatem. Submoveantur igitur hi fuci ab ecclesia alvearibus, nec depasci permittantur apum labores. Deinde procurentur, ut restitutis passim scholis nusquam desint ecclesiarum frugi ministri, &c. That is, "It is "an old saying, no body can grow rich by the stealing and "taking away of private people's possessions; much less by robbing of the public. What sense therefore hath he of God, that doubts not that his riches shall increase to good purpose that commits sacrilege, and robs the church of "what belongs to it? But it is objected, the church hath "too much, and many spend it in luxury: the churchmen "are idle, and bring no profit to the commonwealth. Let "these drones therefore be removed from the hives of the "church, but let not the pains of the bees be eaten up. "And then, having schools of good literature every where "restored, let not the church want sober ministers, &c." 66 66 66 The Com mon A review was made of the book of Common Prayer, 210 about the latter end of the year, by Archbishop Cranmer, and the bishops. Divers things, that savoured too much of Prayersuperstition, were endeavoured to be changed or amended: viewed. Book re II. BOOK but there were among them some that made what opposition they could. The Archbishop had now by Wilkes, Anno 1550. Master of Christ's College, desired Bucer (that great divine then at Cambridge) that he would take an impartial view of the whole book, having procured him a translation of it into Latin, done by Aless, the learned Scotch divine, for his understanding of it; and that he should judge, if he thought any thing in the book might be more explained agreeable with God's word, and for better edification of faith. Bucer in answer sent the Archbishop word, first, what his judgment was of the book, and then what course he intended to use in the examination of it, that he was now to make. said, that when he first came into England, and by the help of an interpreter took some knowledge of the rites and doctrines of this church, that he might see whether he could join his ministry with it, he thanked God "that had in"clined the officers of the church to reform the ceremonies "to that degree of purity; and that he found nothing in "them that was not taken out of the word of God, or at "least was not repugnant to it, being fitly taken. For He some few things there were," added he, "that, unless they "were candidly interpreted, might seem not so sufficiently 66 agreeable with the word of God." As for what he was now to do in order to the fulfilling what the Archbishop required of him, he intended in short notes, at every chapter of the book, to observe what he thought to be according to God's word, and to be retained and vindicated; what to be taken away or mended, and what to be more plainly explained and allowed. After his perusal of the book, he gave this judgment in general: "That in the description of "the communion and daily prayers, he saw nothing enjoin"ed in the book but what was agreeable to the word of "God, either in word, as the psalms and lessons; or in "sense, as the collects. Also that the manner of their "lessons and prayers, and the times of using them, were "constituted very agreeable both with God's word, and "the observation of the ancient churches: and therefore h Nec enim quicquam in illis deprehendi quod non sit ex verbo Dei desumptum, aut saltem ei non adversetur, commode acceptum. Buceri Scripta Anglican. |