Anno 1553.

tants glad

BOOK "concluded very truly, that they sought not for the sincere III. "truth in this conference, and for nothing but vainglory." But the professors of the Gospel, on the other hand, were The Protes- as glad of this dispute, wherein these three chief fathers of of this dis- the church had so boldly and gallantly stood in the defence of the truth, and maintained the true doctrine of the sacrament so well. And Dr. Rowland Taylor, in prison elsewhere at this time for Christ's sake, wrote them a congratulatory letter in the name of the rest. Which is as followeth:

putation.

339

Dr. Taylor

to the three

putations.

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"RIGHT reverend fathers in the Lord, I wish you to fathers af- enjoy continually God's grace and peace through Jesus ter their dis-Christ. And God be praised again for this your most "excellent promotion, which ye are called unto at this pre"sent; that is, that ye are counted worthy to be allowed "amongst the number of Christ's records and witnesses.

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England hath had but a few learned bishops that would "stick to Christ ad ignem inclusive. Once again I thank "God heartily in Christ for your most happy onset, most "valiant proceeding, most constant suffering of all such

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infamies, hissings, clappings, taunts, open rebukes, loss of living and liberty, for the defence of God's cause, truth, "and glory. I cannot utter with pen how I rejoice in my "heart for you three such captains in the foreward, under "Christ's cross, banner, or standard, in such a cause and "skirmish when not only one or two of our dear Re"deemer's strong holds are besieged, but all his chief castles, "ordained for our safeguard, are traitorously impugned. "This your enterprize, in the sight of all that be in heaven, " and of all God's people in earth, is most pleasant to be"hold. This is another manner of nobility, than to be in "the forefront in worldly warfares. For God's sake, pray "for us, for we fail not daily to pray for you. We are "stronger and stronger in the Lord, his name be praised; "and we doubt not, but ye be so in Christ's own sweet "school. Heaven is all, and wholly of our side. Therefore "Gaudete in Domino semper, et iterum gaudete, et exultate : Rejoice always in the Lord, and again rejoice and be

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glad.

"Your assured in Christ, Rowland Taylor."

X.

Ridley, knowing their tricks, and suspecting they would CHAP. publish his disputation unfairly, and to their own advantage, prudently took his pen, and gave an account of it with the Anno 1554. Ridley pens greatest exactness, as he could recover it in his memory. the relation He was promised by the Prolocutor, that he should have a of his disview of the dispute, as it was taken by the notaries, that putation. he might supply and amend, and alter, as he should see any error or mistake in the notes. He promised him likewise, and that in the face and hearing of the rest of the commissioners, and the whole schools, that he should have a time and place allowed him, wherein he might produce what he had more to say, for the confirmation of his answers. But nothing was performed. Ridley never found language more ready to him, nor such a presence of mind in any business he had to do, as he had in this disputation which he took particular notice of, and thanked God for. Of this relation, as he himself had penned it, he wrote to Grindal, then at Frankford, “That except he had "that he gathered himself after his disputation done, he "could not think that he had it truly; but if he had that, "then he had therewithal the whole manner, after the “which he was used in that disputation."

versity

up to the

This whole disputation between these three excellent The Unimen, and the Oxford divines, was, under the seal of the sends the University, and the subscription of notaries, exhibited into disputations the house of Convocation by Hugh Weston, and some Convocalawyers. This John Fox had found some years after, writ tion. in the register of a certain church in London. Whereupon, 340 for the sight hereof, he applied himself to Dr. Incent, that had been actuary: but he put him off, telling him the writings were in Boner's hand, or in the custody of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and that he had them not; probably not being minded they should come to light. Fox, when his pains succeeded not, wrote to the Archbishop and the Bishop of London, Parker and Grindal, about 1567, acquainting them with this; and desired their assistance: and the rather, because perhaps there might have been other things met with there, not unworthy knowledge, under the same seal. And so he left the Archbishop and Bishop to consult as they thought fit for the finding out these writings of the disputations.

BOOK

pies of these

disputa. tions.

Fox, by his diligence, procured many and divers copies III. of them. Which I have seen; and that which he printed in Anno 1554. his Acts and Monuments, was, I suppose, from a copy which Various co- he reckoned the largest and truest. Ridley apprehended there would many copies of these disputations fly about, (as there were,) whereby they might be wronged. Therefore, to prevent misrepresenting, as I said before, he wrote a brief account of what he had said at his disputation. This, whether he writ it in English or Latin originally, I cannot tell; I suppose in Latin; as it was lately, in the year 1688, published at Oxon. Among Fox's manuscripts I meet with a better copy than that, which, by comparing both, I find faulty in many things: besides Ridley's epilogue to the reader, which is there placed as a preface before the book, the true place being at the end of it.

condemned

CHAP. XI.

Cranmer condemned for an Heretick.

Cranmer WITHIN two days after these disputations were ended, for heresy. that is, on Friday April 20, Cranmer, with his two fellows,

were brought again to St. Mary's, before the commissioners. Weston dissuaded them from their opinions; and asked them, whether they would subscribe? and required them to answer directly and peremptorily: and told the Archbishop that he was overcome in disputation, with more words to that purpose. To whom the Archbishop boldly replied, "That "whereas Weston said, that he had answered and opposed, "and could neither maintain his own error, nor impugn the "truth; he said, all that was false: for he was not suf"fered to oppose as he would, nor could answer as he was required, unless he would have brawled with them, and

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ever four or five interrupting him." Latimer and Ridley, being asked what they would do, said, they would stand to that which they had said. Then, being called together, sentence was read over them, that they were no members of the church; and therefore they were condemned as here

XI.

ticks. And, while this was reading, they were asked if they CHAP. would turn? They bad them read on in the name of God: for they were not minded to turn. And so the sentence of Anno 1554. condemnation was awarded against them. Then the Archbishop said, "From this your judgment and sentence I ap-341 "peal to the just judgment of the Almighty: trusting to be present with him in heaven. For whose presence in the "altar I am thus condemned." And so Cranmer was returned to Bocardo, and the other two to other places: as they were kept apart almost all the while they were in Oxon.

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the council.

Weston, after this ingrateful business done, went up the Cranmer next week to London. And Cranmer wrote to the lords of writes to the council a letter, containing two points: one was, to desire the Queen's pardon as to his treason, (for so little favour could he find at court, that he had not yet this absolutely granted him;) and the other was, an account of the disputation: Weston being desired by the Archbishop to carry the letter. But, after he had carried it half way, reading the contents, he liked them so ill, that he sent back the letter most churlishly to Cranmer again. Indeed he cared not to carry complaints of himself to the court. But, because it gives further light into these matters, I have inserted it in the Appendix.

Num.

LXXIX.

It was such an imaginary victory, as they had now got at Disputation Oxford, that they intended also to obtain at Cambridge. intended at Cambridge. And much talk at this time arose, that Hoper, Rogers, Crome, and Bradford, whom they had in prisons at London, were to be had to this university, to be baited, as Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer, newly had been at Oxford: and several of the doctors of Oxford should be sent in likewise to Cambridge for this purpose. But Hoper, Farrar, Taylor, Philpot, Bradford, and the others, having an inkling of it, consulted among themselves what to do; and resolved to decline it, unless they might have indifferent judges. And for this purpose Bradford sent a private and trusty messenger to Oxford to Ridley, to have his, and his two fellows, their judgments concerning this matter. They were at this time all separated from one another: so, though Ridley signified this in a letter to Cranmer, yet he could only give his

BOOK own sense. "He misliked not (he said) what they were "minded to do: for he looked for none other, but that, if

III.

Anno 1553...

In his letter

they answered before the same commissioners that he and to Bradford. "his fellows had done, they should be served and handled

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as they were, though ye were as well learned (said he) as "ever was either Peter or Paul. Yet he thought occasion might afterward be given them; and the consideration of "the profit of their auditory might perchance move them "to do otherwise. But determinately to say what was best, "he could not; but trusted he, whose cause they had in "hand, would put them in mind to do that which should "be most for his glory, the profit of his flock, and their own salvation." It came at length to that forwardness, that Weston and his complices had taken out the commission. And it was easy to obtain such a commission at such a Lord Chancellor's hands. And they were likely speedily to put it in execution. Hoper, who seemed to have the first notice of it, sent the intelligence in a letter to Farrar, Taylor, Bradford, and Philpot, prisoners in the King's Bench. He shewed them what his advice was, and desired them to consult among themselves what course were best to be taken. His own thoughts were, considering what foul play the three learned men had at Oxford, and which they were like to have themselves at this disputation; I. Because they did 342 commonly make false allegations of the doctors, and took

pieces and scraps of them to prove their tenets, against the real mind and sense of those authors; they should therefore refuse wholly to dispute, unless they might have books present before them. II. To have sworn notaries, to take things spoken indifferently; which would be hard to have, the adversaries having the oversight of all things: and so would make theirs better, and the Protestants worse. III. If they perceived, when they were disputing, that two or three, or more, spake together, and used taunts and scoffs, as they did at Oxon, then to refuse to dispute any longer; but to appeal to be heard before the Queen, and the whole council. Whereby this benefit would happen, that they should be delivered from the commissioners, appointed to hear and judge them, who meant nothing less than to hear the cause indifferently, being all enemies already unto the Protestants,