And as touching the second part, where I spake of the vices of the bishops of Rome; and thereto the prior said that he would not slander the bishops of Rome. And he said openly to me in a good audience, that he knew no vices by none of the bishops of Rome. And he said also openly, that I preached uncharitably when I said, that these many years I had daily prayed unto God that I might see the power of Rome destroyed; and that I thanked God that I had now seen it in this realm. And yet in my sermon I declared the cause whereof I so prayed. For I said, that I perceived the see of Rome work so many things contrary to God's honour, and the wealth of this realm, and I saw no hope of amendment 18 so long as that see reigned over us; and for this cause only I had prayed unto God continually, that we might be separated from that see; and for no private malice or displeasure that I had either to the bishop or see of Rome. But this seemed an uncharitable prayer to the prior, that the power of Rome should be destroyed.

And as for the third part, where I preached against the laws of the bishop of Rome; that they ought not to be taken as God's laws, nor to be esteemed so highly as he would have them; the prior, craftily leaving out the name of the bishop of Rome, preached that the laws of the church be equal with God's laws. These things he preached, as it is proved both by sufficient witness, and also by his own confession.

I leave the judgment hereof unto your grace, and to your council, whether this were a defence of the bishop of Rome, or not. And I only, according to my bounden

["And their see; the prior said." Cott. MSS.]

["To the said prior." Cott. MSS.]

duty, have reported the truth of the fact. But in mine opinion, if he had spoken nothing else, yet whosoever saith that the church never erred maintaineth the bishop of Rome's power. For if that were not erroneous, that was taught of his power, That he is Christ's vicar in earth, and by God's law head of all the world, spiritual and temporal; and that all people must believe that "de necessitate salutis," and that whosoever doeth any thing against the see of Rome is an heretic; and that he hath authority also in purgatory; with such other many false things, which were taught in times past to be articles of our faith if these things were not erroneous, yea, and errors in the faith, then must needs your grace's laws be erroneous, that pronounce the bishop of Rome to be of no more power by God's law than other bishops, and them to be traitors that defend the contrary. This is certain that whosoever saith, that the church never erred, must either deny, that the church ever taught any such errors of the bishop of Rome's power, and then they speak against that which all the world knoweth, and all books written of that matter these three or four hundred years do testify; or else they must say that the said errors be none errors, but truths. And then it is both treason and heresy.

At my first examination of him, which was before Christmas, he said, that he preached not against me, nor that I had preached any thing amiss. But now he saith, that I preached amiss in very many things, and that he purposely preached against mes; and this he reporteth openly; by which words I am marvellously

s["This change may have arisen from the execution of Anne Boleyn in the preceding

May, which tended greatly to raise the spirits of the popish party. It would seem however

slandered in these parts. And for this cause I beseech your grace, that I may not have the judgment of the cause, forasmuch as he taketh me for a party; but that your grace would commit the hearing thereoft unto my lord privy seal"; or else to associate unto me some other persons at your grace's pleasure, that we may hear the case jointly together.

W

If this man, who hath so highly offended your grace, and preached against me openly, being ordinary and metropolitan of this province; and that in such matters as concern the misliving, and the laws of the bishop of Rome; and that also within mine own church; if he, I say, be not looked upon, I leave unto your grace's prudence to expend, what example this may be unto others with like colour to maintain the bishop of Rome's authority; and also of what estimation I shall be reputed hereafter, and what credence shall be given unto my preaching, whatsoever I shall say 19 hereafter.

I beseech your grace to pardon me of my long and tedious writing; for I could not otherwise set the matter forth plain. And I most heartily thank your grace for the stag, which your grace sent unto me from Windsor forest : which if your grace knew for how many causes it was welcome unto me, and how many ways it did me service, I am sure you would think it much the better bestowed. Thus our Lord have your highness always in his pre

from letter clxviii. (Works of abp. Cranmer, vol. ii. letter clxxii. p. 322. Park. Soc. ed.) that they had been gaining ground before that event." Jenkyns' Remains of abp. Cranmer, vol. i. pp. 171,2. n. P.]

t["The hearing hereof." Cott. MSS.]

u

[i. e. Crumwel.]

w ["Some other person." Cott. MSS.]

x ["As concern the authority, misliving." Cott. MSS.]

servation and governance.

August. [1536.]

From Ford the xxvi day of

Your grace's most humble chaplain
and beadsman,

T. CANTUARIEN.

[Cotton MSS.] Cleop. F.

1. p. 260.

[British

Museum.

Original.

Hist. of
Reformat.

vol. iii. B.

NUMBER XIV.

THE ARCHBISHOP TO MR. SECRETARY CRUMWEL, CONCERNING
HIS STYLING HIMSELF PRIMATE OF ALL ENGLAND.

RIGHT worshipful, in my most hearty wise I commend me unto you. Most heartily thanking you for that you have signified unto me, by my chaplain Master Champion, the complaint of the bishop of Winchester unto the Burnet's king's highness in two things concerning my visitation. The one is, that in my style I am written "totius Angliæ Appendix. primas," to the derogation and prejudice of the king's 3. No. 37. high power and authority, being supreme head of the church. The other is, that his diocese not past five years agone was visited by my predecessor, and must from henceforth pay the tenth part of the spiritualties according to the act granted in the last session of parliament2; wherefore he thinketh that his diocese should not be charged with my visitation at this time.

pp. 120

123.]

First, as concerning my style, wherein I am named "totius Angliæ primas," I suppose that to make his cause good, (which else indeed were naught), he doth mix it

y [Stephen Gardiner.]

z [The act for the subsidy, (26. Hen. VIII. c. 19.) and the act for the valuation of the tenths, &c. (26 Hen. VIII. c. 3.) were both passed in the session which began

the 3rd of Nov. 1534. See Statutes of the Realm. vol. iii. pp. 493, 516. Strype's Eccl. Mem. vol. i. p. 325, et seqq. ed. Oxon. 1822. Burnet's Hist. of Reformat. vol. i. p. 320. ed. Oxon. 1829.]

with the king's cause, (as ye know the man lacketh neither learning in the law, neither witty invention, nor craft to set forth his matters to the best), that he might appear not to maintain his own cause, but the king's; against whose highness, he knoweth right well, that I will maintain no cause, but give place, and lay both my cause and myself at my prince's feet. But to be plain what I think of the bishop of Winchester, I cannot persuade with myself that he so much tendereth the king's cause as he doth his own, that I should not visit him: and that appeareth by the very time. For if he cast no further than the defencea of the king's grace's authority, or if he intended that at all, why moved he not the matter before he received my monition for my visitation; which was within four miles of Winchester delivered unto him the xxth day of April last, as he came up to the court. Moreover I do not a little marvel why he should now find fault rather than he did before, when he took the bishop of Rome as 20 chief head. For though the bishop of Rome was taken for supreme head, notwithstanding that he had a great number of primates under him; and by having his primates under him, his supreme authority was not less esteemed, but much the more. Why then may not the king's highness, being supreme head, have primates under him, without a distinguishinge, but with the augmenting of his said supreme authority? And of this I doubt not at all, but [that] the bishop of Winchester knoweth, as