XXV. The Uni declaim a gainst it in upon this argument, and vindicate the honesty and boldness CHAP. of the English clergy, in speaking their minds against the sacrilegious spirit that reigned in these times; it may not versity-men be amiss to give some account of a communication that happened about December or January, 1552, at court, between the schools. Sir William Cecyl, the King's secretary, and one Miles Wilson, a grave divine, and acquaintance of the said Cecyl, and a man of eminency in the university of Cambridge. Discourse happening between them of divers and sundry things, relating partly to the propagating Christ's religion, and partly to the preservation and increase of the commonwealth; the said Wilson delivered to Cecyl an oration to read, which he had composed, De rebus Ecclesiæ non diripiendis; "concerning not spoiling the church of her "means:" and which he once pronounced in the public 412 schools of the University, about that time when those matters were in agitation above. Cecyl, being a good and conscientious man, had in this conference signified to him his earnest desire to hear and see what could be proposed out of the holy Scripture in so unusual an argument. To shew this, and to give also a short view of his said oration, because the Secretary's infinite business would not allow him to read long discourses, Wilson soon after digested the contents thereof, reducing it into some syllogisms and ratiocinations, more apt to urge, and easier to remember, and more accommodate to persuade. These, with his letter, he sent to the Secretary. His ends herein were to satisfy him in this point, being a man of great stroke in the public transactions of those times: who might accordingly use his interest and endeavour to retrieve what had been so unjustly taken from the church; that the famous schools lately dissolved, to the great ruin of the University, might be reedified again; and that those livings, which were miserably spoiled by covetous patrons, might be restored, and enjoy their whole revenues, to the real honour of the state. And, lastly, that the hospitals, impoverished or wholly beggared, might, by his means, be remedied and helped by the King's council; that they might revert to their former condition; that is, to succour and help the poor. He urged moreover to Cecyl, that the destruction of schools would be the destruction of the uni III. BOOK versities: and that all learning would soon cease, and Popery and more than Gothic barbarism would invade all, if learned men were not better taken care of than they were; and if the rewards of learning, viz. rectories, prebends, and all, were taken away from them. And the redress urged at court. This man had also freely discoursed these matters to two upon some other great and public-spirited men, viz. Goodrich, the Lord Chancellor, who was Bishop of Ely; and Holgate, Archbishop of York: to both whom he had also given the names of a great many schools, parsonages, and hospitals, that had undergone this sacrilegious usage. And he particularly mentioned to Cecyl a town not far from Cambridge, called Childerlay, where a gentleman had pulled down all the houses in the parish, except his own. And so, there being none to frequent the church, the inhabitants being gone, he used the said church, partly for a stable for his horses, and partly for a barn for his corn and straw. This letter of Wilson to the Secretary, together with his arguments against pilling the church subjoined, I have thought worthy preNo. XCIII. serving in the repository for such monuments in the Appendix. But to return from this digression, which Calvin's censure of our Archbishop occasioned. Calvin sends letters, and certain of his books, And when, in the year 1551, he dispatched into England one Nicolas, (that Nicolas Gallasius, I suppose, who was afterward by Calvin recommended to be minister to the French congregation in London, at the desire of Grindal, Bishop of London, that he would send over some honest able person for that place,) with letters to the Duke of Somerset to the King, and likewise to the King; to whom he presented also, at Ep. 123. the same time, his book of Commentaries upon Esay, and 413 the Canonical Epistles, which he had dedicated to him; by the King both the King's council, and the King himself, were much pleased and satisfied with this message: and the Archbishop What the told Nicolas, "that Calvin could do nothing more profitArchbishop able to the church, than to write often to the King." The messenger substance of what he wrote to the King, that was so well taken, was to excite and sharpen the generous parts of the royal youth, as Calvin hinted in a letter to Bullinger. Well taken and coun cil. told the hereupon. Ep. 120. man. CHAP. XXVI. The Archbishop highly valued Peter Martyr. Archbishop friends. The use the made of him. As for the learned Italian, Peter Martyr, who is worthy to Peter Marbe mentioned with Melancthon and Calvin, there was not yr and the only an acquaintance between him and our Archbishop, but cordial a great and cordial intimacy and friendship: for of him he made particular use in the steps he took in our reformation. Archbishop And, whensoever he might be spared from his public readings in Oxford, the Archbishop used to send for him, to confer with him about the weightiest matters. This Calvin took notice of, and signified to him by letter how much he Ep. 127. rejoiced that he made use of the counsels of that excellent And when the reformation of the ecclesiastical laws was in effect wholly devolved upon Cranmer, he appointed him, and Gualter Haddon, and Dr. Rowland Taylor, his chaplain, and no more, to manage that business: which shews what an opinion he had of Martyr's abilities, and how he served himself of him in matters of the greatest moment. And in that bold and brave challenge he made in the beginning of Queen Mary's reign, to justify, against any man whatsoever, every part of King Edward's reformation; he nominated and made choice of Martyr therein to be one of his assistants in that disputation, if any would undertake it with him. This divine, when he was forced to leave Oxford upon the change of religion, retreated first to the Archbishop at Lambeth; and from thence, when he had tarried as long as he durst, he departed the realm to Strasburgh. minous and mar ginal notes This man was he that saw and reported those voluminous Martyr saw writings of this Archbishop, which he had collected out of the volu all the ancient church-writers, upon all the heads of divi- writings nity; and those notes of his own pen, that he had inserted in the margin of his books: which the Archbishop com- of the municated to him, when he conversed with him at his house. shop. And from these, and such-like of the Archbishop's labours, he acknowledged he had learned much, especially in the doctrine of the sacrament; as he writ in his epistle before his tract of the Eucharist. Archbi BOOK of Martyr ford. XCV. The fame of Peter Martyr, and the desire of preserving all remains of so learned a professor, and great an instrument of Two letters the reformed religion, hath inclined me to put two of his from Ox- letters into the Appendix, though otherwise not to our present purpose; being originals, writ by his own hand from No. XCIV. Oxon. The one to James Haddon, a learned court-divine, and Dean of Exon, to procure a license from the King or 414 the council for a friend and auditor of his to preach publicly. The other to Sir William Cecyl, to forward the payment of a salary due to him, that read the divinitylecture in the room of Dr. Weston, a Papist, who had claimed it himself, and laboured to detain it from him. An instance of his love bishop. I cannot forbear mentioning here an instance of his love to the Arch- and great concern for our Archbishop, his old friend and patron, after the iniquity of the times had parted them; the one then in prison, and the other at Strasburgh. It was in June 1555, when Queen Mary, supposing herself with child, was reported to have said in her zeal, "That she could never "be happily brought to bed, nor succeed well in any other "of her affairs, unless she caused all the hereticks she had "in prison to be burnt, without sparing so much as one." Which opinion, very likely, the Bishop of Winchester, or some other of her zelotical chaplains, put into her head. This report coming to Martyr's ears, afflicted him greatly; not only for the destruction that was like suddenly to befall many holy professors, but more especially for the imminent hazard he apprehended that great and public person, the Archbishop, to be in. Which made him express himself in this manner, in a letter to Peter Alexander, to whom that most reverend father had also formerly been a kind host and patron; "That, from those words of the Queen, he might "discover that my Lord of Canterbury was then in great danger." Pet. Mar tyr. Ep. Theolog. 66 CHAP. XXVII. The Archbishop's Favour to John Sleidan. vour to dan. sion from To all these learned and religious outlandish men, to whom The Archthe Archbishop was either a patron or a friend, or both, we bishop's famust not forget to join John Sleidan, the renowned author John Sleiof those exact Commentaries of the state of religion,' and the commonwealth in Germany, in the time of Charles V. About the end of March, anno 1551, he procured for him Procures from King Edward an honorary pension of two hundred him a pencrowns a year, as some aid for the carrying on his Commen- the King. taries, which he then was busy about; and, as it seems, encouraged by Cranmer to take in hand and prosecute. And when Dr. Bruno, a learned man, and father-in-law to Sleidan, departed out of England, which was about the time. before mentioned, being the agent of the Duke of Saxony, the Archbishop informed him of this stipend, by the King granted unto his son-in-law; confirming the same to him in the King's name, and encouraging the Commentator hereby to proceed cheerfully in his useful undertaking. lected. But upon the stirs at court, the payment of this pension The paywas neglected a great while: which caused Sleidan to call ment negupon the Archbishop more than once, as also upon his friends Cheke and Cecyl; entreating them to remind the Archbishop of him, and to communicate to his lordship the letters he had writ to them. But alas! he needed not to have been excited to things of this nature, bearing so good a will to them, and being of his own nature so forward to 415 favour learned and honest men, and useful designs; nor was his good will to Sleidan any whit abated, but his interest at court was, now towards the declension of King Edward's reign. bours with get the pen But, because his pension depended only upon a verbal pro- Sleidan lamise of the King, and the getting it under his seal might the Archcontribute to the payment of it in better sort hereafter, he bishop to laboured with our Prelate, and the two other persons men- sion contioned, that it might be confirmed by letters patents. Q ૧ 2 He firmed by Jetters pa tents. |