“III. That they teach all the doctrines contained in the CHAP. "three creeds. XVIII. "IV. That they teach that the church of God is the Anno 1550. "congregation of the faithful, wherein the word of God is "truly preached, and the sacraments justly ministered, "according to the institution of Christ: and that the "church of God is not by God's word taken for the mul“titude or company of men, as of bishops, priests, and "such other; but that it is the company of all men hearing "God's word, and obeying to the same; lest that any man "should be seduced, believing himself to be bound unto "an ordinary succession of bishops and priests, but only "unto the word of God, and the right use of his sacra"ments. "V. That though the true church cannot err from the "faith; yet nevertheless, forasmuch as no man is free from "sin and lies, there is, nor can be any church known, be "it never so perfect or holy, but it may err." These are the five first. His in rogatories. Then he gave them injunctions to the number of one junctions and thirty; seven and twenty interrogatories and demands and interof the people and parishioners, and of their conversation, to be required and known by the parsons, vicars, and curates. Sixty-one interrogatories and examinations of the ministers, and of their conversation, to be required and known by the parishioners. There were also articles, whereupon all ministers were examined concerning the Ten Commandments, the Articles of faith, and the petitions of the Lord's Prayer; viz. to each minister were these questions put: 1. Concerning 1. How many Commandments. the Com- 2. Where they are written. mandments, 3. Whether they can recite them by heart. 2. Concerning the Chris 1. What are the Articles of the Christian 2. Whether they can recite them by heart. tian Faith, 3. That they corroborate them by authority of Scripture. BOOK II. Anno 1550. 218 Holds Worcester in commen dam. 3. Concerning the Lord's Prayer. 1. Whether they can say the petitions by heart. 2. How they know it to be the Lord's Prayer. 3. Where it is written. Which demands, how easy soever they were, many curates and priests (such was the ignorance of those days) could say but little to. Some could say the Pater Noster in Latin, but not in English. Few could say the Ten Commandments. Few could prove the Articles of faith by Scripture that was out of their way. The memory of such as have been greatly useful in the church or state ought religiously to be preserved. Of this number was this Bishop, who, as he was naturally an active man, put forth all his strength and vigour of body and mind to set forward a good reformation in religion, and afterwards as courageously shed his blood for it. Therefore I cannot part with this good prelate till I have gathered up and reposited here some further memorials of him. The diocese of Worcester becoming void by the deprivation of Hethe in October 1551, and requiring an industrious man to be set over that see, it was given to Hoper to hold in commendam. In the year 1552, in July, he visited that diocese, which he found much out of order. But before he had finished, he was fain to go back to Glocester, hearing of the ungodly behaviour of the ministers there. He left them the last year seemingly very compliant to be reformed, and took their subscription to his articles of religion. But in his absence, when his back was turned, they became as bad altogether as they were before. Yet he conceived good hopes of the lay-people, if they had but good justices and faithful ministers placed among them, as he wrote to Secretary Cecyl: to whom he signified his desire that the Articles of religion, which the King had mentioned to him when last at London, were set forth. Them he intended to make the clergy not only subscribe, (which, being privately done, he saw they regarded not,) but to read and confess them openly before 'heir parishioners. At his visitation he constituted certain of his clergy superintendants, who in his absence were to CHAP. have a constant eye over the inferior clergy. XVIII. And visits After this visit to Glocester, he returned back again to Anno 1550. Worcester in October, and then proceeded in his visitation that church there. Here Johnson and Jolliff, two canons of this church, and see. disallowing some doctrines recommended to them by the Bishop, (in his articles abovesaid,) held a dispute thereupon with him and Mr. Harley, (who was afterward Bishop of Hereford.) And one of these behaved himself most insolently and disrespectfully to both. The Bishop sent up by Harley a large relation of his visitation in writing, and the matter these canons misliked, and recommended Harley to the Secretary to give account of the disputation. This caused him to break out into a complaint for want of good men in the cathedrals: "Ah! Mr. Secretary, that there were good men in the cathedral churches! God then "should have much more honour than he hath, the King's 66 66 Majesty more obedience, and the poor people better "knowledge: but the realm wanteth light in such churches, "whereas of right it ought most to be." In Worcester church he now put in execution the King's Injunctions for the removal of superstition: for which there arose a great clamour against him, as though he had spoiled the church; and yet he did no more than the express words of the 219 Injunctions commanded to be done. both his again. After his visitation was over, he accounted not his work Goes over done; but soon went over both his dioceses again, to take dioceses account of his clergy, how they profited since his last examining them; and to oversee even his superintendants themselves, to commend their well-doings, and to see what was ill done. So great was his pains and zeal; which made him most truly and experimentally write as he did to the Secretary: There is none that eat their bread in the sweat of their face, but such as serve in public vocation. Yours is wonderful, but mine passeth. Now I perceive that private labours be but plays, nor private troubles but ease and quietness. These matters I extract from two original letters of this Bishop to Secretary Cecyl; which I have Num. thought well worthy of preserving in the Appendix; and XLVIII. there they may be met with. BOOK Anno 1550. The coun the two ca Whereas it was mentioned before, how the Bishop had sent up a writing of the matters in controversy between the two canons and himself, we may see what care the council cil's order took hereof, and what countenance they gave the Bishop, concerning by an order they made November 6, 1552. Which was, nons. MS. that a letter should be wrote to Mr. Cheke and Mr. Harley, to consider certain books sent unto them touching matters of religion in controversy between the Bishop of Worcester and two of the canons of Worcester, and to certify their opinion hither, that further order may be therein taken. Council Book. License for the Bishop ter to at tend upon the Duchess of January 29, 1551. Upon suit made by the Duchess of of Glouces- Somerset to Sir Philip Hobby, and Mr. Darcy, Lieutenant of the Tower, to be a mean unto the King's Majesty, and my Lords, that the Bishop of Glocester (who had been Somerset in Chaplain unto the Duke) might be suffered to have access the Tower. unto her for the settling of her conscience; order was by their Lordships taken for the same, and a letter written to the Lieutenant of the Tower in that behalf, as followeth: "To the Lieutenant of the Tower, to permit the Bishop of "Glocester, from time to time, to speak with the Duchess "of Somerset, in the presence of Sir Philip Hobby, and of “the said Lieutenant: and in case the said Lady of So"merset desire to speak with the said Bishop apart, that "in that case they license her so to do. Other matters relating to this Bishop. 66 May 29, 1552. A warrant to make a book to the elect Bishop of Worcester and Glocester, of discharge of the "first fruits and tenths to be paid for the same, in consi"deration that he hath departed with certain lands to the King's Majesty: which probably he seeing would, whe"ther he would or no, be pulled away from him, to be con"ferred upon some of the mighty of the court, made the "best of a bad market, and got himself freed from that "charge, payable to the King. 66 April 12, 1553. A letter was wrote to the Chancellor "of the Augmentations, to cause a book to be made from "the Bishop of Worcester and Glocester, of a surrender "to the King's Majesty of his jurisdiction in the forest of "Dean, with a certain deanery, which of right belongeth "to the bishoprick of Hereford: and thereupon to make "another book of the grant thereof from his Highness to CHAP. “Mr. Harley, elect Bishop of Hereford. XVIII. "April 16, 1553. A letter to the Chancellor of the Aug- Anno 1550. ❝mentations, to cause a book to be devised in form of law, 220 "licensing the Bishop of Worcester and Glocester to give "to three poor vicarages in his diocese, the parsonages "whereof are impropriated to his bishoprick, such aug"mentation of living towards their better maintenance, as "he shall think convenient, out of the lands of the said see. April 25, 1553. A warrant to the receiver of the wards, "to deliver to the Bishop of Worcester, by way of reward, "twenty pounds for his attendance here ever since the par"liament by his Majesty's commandment. These are tran"scriptions out of a council-book." CHAP. XIX. Troubles of Bishop Gardiner. IN this year 1550, the council and our Archbishop had 66 repair to much trouble with some other bishops also, of a quite different judgment from the above spoken of; I mean Gardiner Bishop of Winchester, Nicolas Bishop of Worcester, and Day Bishop of Chichester: of whom what I shall here briefly set down are for the most part extractions out of an old council-book, and King Edward's Journal. At Greenwich, June 8, was this order of council con- Divers cerning Bishop Gardiner ; Considering the long impri- great Lords "sonment that the Bishop of Winchester hath sustained, Gardiner. "it was now thought time he should be spoken withal; “and agreed, that if he repented his former obstinacy, and "would henceforth apply himself to advance the King's "Majesty's proceedings, his Highness in this case would be "his good lord, and remit all his errors past: otherwise his Majesty was resolved to proceed against him as his obstinacy and contempt required. For the declaration whereof, the Duke of Somerset, the Lord Treasurer, the Lord "Privy Seal, the Lord great Chamberlain, and Mr. Secre 66 66 |