was never willed to be shewed as true." But, gracious lord, whether I have offended in that, that I noted those articles, after that I was willed by Mr. Baker to mark 71 the chiefest fautors of new opinions, I refer it to your gracious judgment; and whatsoever shall be thought, (as nothing can be hid, nor I would should not, of any my life, from any of you both), that I have offended in; I beseech you both of your mercy and favour, and to be good to me, instantly and briefly, (for I am loath to trouble you, or to seem to mistrust your goodness), desiring you to have in remembrance my weak nature, and the long and solitary durance I have suffered, with grievous vexation of mind. And for refreshing thereof to license me to eat and drink at meals with company and being so nigh my chamber, that I may remain in the same to the intent I may pass the time with my own books. Heartily desiring your good lordship that notwithstanding any thing heretofore done, or howsoever I have before wandered, not conformably to your gracious advertisement or expectation, yet, gracious lord, accept a poor heart, which would gladly be received into your fatherly favour again, to declare his faithful mind, he hath conceived towards your goodness, upon such pity as your gracious lordship hath shewed, and I trust now will, in his extreme need. Assuring your grace that my whole confidence and only trust is reposed in your goodness only, Dr. Leigh. and gentle Mr. Doctor; whose native merciful hearts, as they have be[en] declared ofttimes towards many, so I most meekly beseech you both mercifully to interpretate my acts, and to declare your pity in releasing my sorrows, as shortly as shall seem convenient to your wisdoms. For whom I will not cease to be a perpetual orator to Almighty God. I most heartily desire to know your gracious pleasure in the premises, and especially whether your lordship hath the book subscribed with the witness' hands or no. For although "that in the copy of my brother's [hand was the articles that touched your lordship that in the other] book, it appeareth who hath subscribed to other articles of Mr. Drum and Mr. Scory and others," which I do not remember. Your gracious prisoner, MILLES' LETTER OF SUBMISSION. Most reverend father in God, my humble duty remembered unto your grace. And I, knowing right well that in that I subscribed unto certain articles, (though unadvisedly), have shewed great unkindness unto your grace in my so doing. And again, for that [I] have deserved little kindness at your grace's hand, and do now suffer cold imprisonment at your grace's pleasure. Which is very tedious [and] painful unto me, and as I fear great danger might ensue unto me, by augmenting that cold and cough, that I have taken before, and now increaseth. Besides the inward pensiveness of heart taken, for this my rash fact, at other men's light motion, as others of my company did: which now I think lamenteth them much: yea, so much, that at such time as I have been in company with them, I have heard them say, that they could not sleep, neither eat that thing, or drink, that did do them much good, as I am one of them. Wherefore, most gracious lord, these premises and others considered, by the which sickness of body may not the heart waste, this shall be to humbly beseech your grace to mercifully intreat me, and 72 that now I may find some drop of mercy at your grace's hands, for this my imprisonment. Assuring your grace that I shall take this punishment for my learning; and not at any time hereafter to be so lightly allured at any CRANMER, VOL. I. man's motion to put so unadvisedly my hand, or consent to any such matter hereafter. Now, gracious lord, shew pity and mercy unto me, which I do ask of your grace, and do heartily desire it with weeping eye, and sorrowful heart, as knoweth God. By your JOHN MYLLYS. NUMBER XXXIV. A LETTER PREPARED FOR THE KING TO SIGN, TO RATIFY CERTAIN ECCLESIASTICAL LAWS. HENRICUS Octavus, Dei gratia Angliæ et Franciæ rex, fidei defensor, et dominus Hiberniæ, ac in terris Anglicanis sub Deo caput supremum: omnibus archiepiscopis, episcopis, abbatibus, clericis, ducibus, marchionibus, comitibus, baronibus, militibus, generosis, ac aliis cujuscunque generis hominibus, subditis et legiis nostris, per regnum nostrum et dominia nostra ubilibet commorantibus, salutem, et evangelicæ veritatis incrementum. Cum vos, optimi cives mei mihique carissimi, me nunc unum atque solum hujus regni principem, in terrisque secundum Deum, hujus ecclesiæ Anglicanæ unicum supremumque caput, quemadmodum divini atque humani juris ratio postulat, potestatemque tam ecclesiasticæ quam mundanæ politiæ mihi majoribusque meis, ipso jure divino concessam, (verum multis seculis unius Romani episcopi malitia, fraude, dolis, atque astutia ereptam), ad me et successores meos pertinere una voce, uno omnium assensu agnoscitis, non possum in dies magis magisque, muneris atque officii mei rationem non habere, deque illustranda Dei gloria, de Christianæ pietatis vera doctrina propaganda, de imperii hujus incolumitate, et quiete tuenda, summa animi cura atque cogitatione non esse solicitus. Occurrant enim subinde animo meo verba illa, quæ Sapientæ cap. septimo habentur ad hunc mo dum: "Audite reges et intelligite, quoniam data est a Domino potestas vobis, et virtus ab Altissimo; qui interrogabit opera vestra, et scrutabitur cogitationes. Ad vos ergo, reges, sunt hi sermones mei, ut dicatis sapientiam, et ne excidatis. Qui enim custodit justitiam, juste judicabuntur, et qui didicerunt justa, invenient quid respondeant," &c. Hinc facile perspici potest exactissime a regibus potestatis suæ reddendam esse rationem, illosque gravissimas manere pœnas, si non, ut oportuit, in rep. administranda sese gesserint. Quod si tanta cura ac solicitudine quibuscunque regibus opus est, quam anxios igitur ac solicitos Christianos reges esse debere censendum est, quibus non politia modo civilis, sed ecclesiastica etiam potestas data est? Hos enim non tantum quæ ad humanam societatem pertinent, sed etiam quæ divinæ Christianæque religioni maxime consentanea sunt, curare necesse est. Præsentem hujus sæculi fælicitatem principes Christianos ita metiri con-73 venit, ut hac potestate sua ad Dei cultum dilatandum utantur, et in hoc incumbant, ut recta doctrina propagetur, orneturque Dei gloria. Cum igitur a Christianis regibus justitiam in imperio, pacis tuendæ curam, pietatem, studium juvandæ et ornandæ religionis Christianæ exigi animadverterem, nihil mihi potius esse debere judicabam, quam ut omnes inirem rationes, quo minus in hoc meo regno hæc a me desiderentur, et quoad possem, muneri imposito satisfacerem. Hoc ut facilius, expeditiusque præstare valeam, non ignoratis vos, quantam curam adhibuerim in illis rebus promovendis tuendisque, quæ huic negotio maxime conducere, atque adjumento esse videbantur; quæ contra impedire atque obesse visa sunt, quanto studio tollere ac delere conatus sum, assidueque conor. Abunde enim vobis declaratum hactenus fuit, quam in hac nostra Britannia, multis retro sæculis, episcopi Romani vis injusta, ac non ferenda, sacro sancto divino Numini inimica fuit; quantopere religioni Christianæ, veræ doctrinæ propagandæ adversata est, quantum hujus reip. pacem ac tranquillitatem sæpissime interturbavit, potestatemque regiam divinitus constitutam labefactando, debitam omnium obedientiam, a vero ac justo principis sui imperio, contra omne jus divinum et humanum, ad se transferre ausus est. Hujus potestatem huic cum divino munere sublatam esse manifestum est, et nequid superesset, quo non plane fractam illius vim esse constaret, leges omnes, decreta atque instituta, quæ ab authore episcopo Romano profecto sunt, prorsus abroganda censuimus. Quorum loco, ut facilius imposterum Dei Opt. Max. gloria illustretur, et vera philosophia Christiana regnumque Christi vigere possit, et quo omnia decenter et ordine in Christi hac ecclesia gerantur; en vobis authoritate nostra editas leges damus, quas a vobis omnibus suscipi, coli et observari volumus, et sub nostræ indignationis poena mandamus, ut vestra in Deum pietas, amor erga patriam, principemque vestrum obedientia, non sine immensa divini Nominis gloria omnibus conspicua sit, ac vosmetipsos non minus de vestris rationibus solicitos ostendatis, quam ego vestra causa de officio fuerim meo, stricte præcipientes, ut his nostris constitutionibus vos omnes et singuli, tam in judiciis, quam in gymnasiis utamini, severe prohibentes, ne quisquam vestrum alias, præter has, et regni nostri leges admittere præsumat. Valete. [The Collection of Tenets from the Canon Law" will be given with the Addenda, at the end of the Appendix to the third volume.] END OF VOL. I. |