1557.

AN. REG. 3, siastical causes was put into the hands of the congregations, 1555-6. and the disposing of the public monies committed to the trust of certain officers, by the name of Deacons1. This makes the breach wider than before-Horn and his party labouring to retain the old, the other to establish the new discipline of their own devising2. The magistrates, not able to agree the difference, dispatch their letters unto Stralsburge of the 3rd of April, desiring Dr Cox and Dr Sandys, together with Robert Bertie, Esq. to undertake the closing of the present ruptures. To their arbitrement each party is content to submit the controversy, but differ in conclusion in the terms of their reference. Much talk and no small scandal groweth upon these divisions, not made the less by the pen-combats between Horn and Whitehead. In the end, a form of reconciliation is drawn up by some of the English, who more endeavoured the peace of the Church than the interess of either party'. But those who stood for the new discipline, being grown the stronger, refused to submit themselves to any establishment by which the power of the diffusive body of the congregation might be called in question. Whereupon Horn and Chambers depart to Stralsburge, from whence Chambers writ his letters to them of the 20th of June, and after of the 30th of June, but to no effect. They had before proceeded to the election of some new ministers, March the 22nd. Against which though Horn and his opposed, yet they concluded it for the present on the 29th; and now they mean to stand unto the conclusion, let Horn and Chambers go or tarry, as best pleased themselves. Such were the troubles and disorders in the Church of Franckfort,-occasioned first by a dislike of the public Liturgy, before which they preferred the nakedness and simplicity of the French and Genevian Churches, and afterwards continued by the opposition made by the general body of the congregation against such as were appointed to be pastors and rulers over them. Hence the beginning of the Puritan faction, against the rites and ceremonies of the Church; that of the Presbyterians, against

1 P. 83. Chambers had hitherto had all the funds in his hands. For an account of him, see Strype's Eccl. Mem. iii. 142.

2 Pp. 88, seqq.

3 P. 99. Mr Bertie has been mentioned already, p. 103, as husband of the Duchess of Suffolk. 4 P. 170.

5

Pp. 182-4. Edd. Heyl. read "July."

6 P. 98.

1555-6.

Introduction

narian doc

the Bishops, or episcopal government; and finally, that also AN. REG. 3, of the Independents, against the superintendency of the pastors and elders. The terrible effects whereof will appear hereafter, of predestiif God shall give me means and opportunity to carry on the trines. history of those disturbances which have been raised by the Puritans or Presbyterians against the orders of this Church and the peace of Christendom1.

25. But sorrows seldom go alone. The aberrations from the government and form of worship established in the Church 64 of England drew on an alteration also in point of doctrine. Such 234 of the English as had retired into Geneva employ themselves

in setting out a new translation of the Bible in the English tongue3, which afterwards they published with certain marginal notes upon it, most of them profitable for the understanding of the text, but so that some were heterodox in point of doctrine, some dangerous and seditious in reference to the civil magistrate, and some as scandalous in respect of episcopal government. From this time the Calvinian doctrine of predestination began to be dispersed in English pamphlets, as the only necessary, orthodox, and saving truth. Knox publisheth a book, “Against an adversary of God's predestination," wherein it is declared, That "whatsoever the Ethnics and ignorant did attribute to fortune, by Christians is to be assigned to God's heavenly providence; that we ought to judge nothing to come of fortune, but that all cometh by the determinate counsel of God; and finally, that it would be displeasing unto God, if we should esteem any thing to proceed from any other; and that we do not only behold him as the principal cause of all things, but also the author, appointing all things to the one or the other by his only counsel." After comes out a book, first written in French and afterwards by some of them translated into English, which they called "A brief Declaration of the Table of Predestination," in which it is put down for a principal aphorism, that, in like manner "as God hath appointed the end, it is necessary also, that God should appoint the causes leading to the same end;" but more particularly, that "by virtue of God's will all things are done; yea, even those things which are evil and execrable." In another book, entituled 1 Heylyn's "Aërius Redivivus, or History of the Presbyterians," was published posthumously in 1670.

2 Edd. "and."

3 Troubles of Frankfort, 192.

1555-6.

AN.REG. 3, "Against a privy Papist," it is maintained, more agreeably to Calvin's doctrine, that "all evil springeth of God's ordinance, and that God's predestination was the cause of Adam's fall, and of all wickednesses." And in a fourth book, published by Robert Crowley, who afterwards was Rector of the church of St Giles's near Cripplegate, entituled "The Confutation of Thirteen Articles," &c. it is said expressly, "That Adam being so perfect a creature that there was in him no lust to sin, and yet so weak, that of himself he was not able to withstand the assault of the subtil serpent-that therefore there can be no remedy but that the only cause of his fall must needs be the predestination of God." In which book it is also said, "That the most wicked persons that have been were of God appointed to be even as wicked as they were;" and finally, "that if God do predestinate man to do things rashly, and without any deliberation, he shall not deliberate at all, but run headlong upon it, be it good or evil." By which defenders of the absolute decree of reprobation, as God is made to be the author of sin, either in plain terms or undeniable consequence; so from the same men, and the Genevian pamphlets by them dispersed, our English Calvinists have borrowed all their grounds and principles on which they build the absolute and irrespective decree of predestination, contrary to the doctrine publicly maintained and taught in the time of King Edward3.

"Sometime a bookseller, now Reader of St Antholine's, Parson of St Peter the Poor, Prebend of St Paul's, Vicar of St Giles without Cripplegate, and Dean of Hereford," as he is described by Stow, in a paper published by Dr Wordsworth, Eccl. Biog. iii. 475. Crowley had, however, been educated at Oxford before he became a bookseller and printer. Wood, Athen. Oxon. i. 542-6, where there is a long list of his publications. He advocated his theological views in verse as well as in prose, and was the first editor of Piers Plowman's Vision, which he published with a controversial intention. Warton, Hist. of Eng. Poetry, iii. 165. ed. 1840. This turbulent puritan died in 1588 (Stow, Survey, 313), and was succeeded in the parish of St Giles by a man of a very different stamp-Lancelot Andrewes. The work here quoted was answered by Campneys (sup. i. 153.) Compare for Campneys, Heyl. Historia Quinquart. pt. iii. p. 5; for Crowley, Strype, Eccl. Mem. ii. 139; Parker, 218–91. 2 So Aër. Red.; “had," edd. Eccl. Restaur.

3 The substance of this section, with the quotations, is taken from the Historia Quinquarticularis, iii. 5-8 (reprinted in Heylyn's Tracts); and it is repeated in the Aërius Redivivus, 243. On the history of predestinarian doctrines, comp. Cypr. Anglic. 28, seqq.

ANNO REGNI MAR. 4,

ANNO DOM. 1556, 1557.

AN.REG. 4, 1556.

65

235

1.

IT

design for

Church-pro

[T is now time that we set sail again for England, which The Queen's we left flaming with the fire of persecution, and the whole restoring body of the state not a little inflamed with a spirit of treason perty. and sedition; the last ill spirit well allayed by the execution of the chief conspirators; the other fire not quenched by the blood of the martyrs, which rather served as oil to nourish than as water to extinguish the outrageousness of it. But the Queen hoped to salve the matter on her part by some works of piety, as the restoring of such church-lands as were in the Crown for the endowment of some new convents of Monks and Friars. But first she thought it necessary to communicate her purpose unto some of the Council, and therefore calling to her the Lord Treasurer Paulet, Inglefield Master of the Wards, Rochester Comptroller of her household, and master Secretary Petre, who seemed to be most concerned in it by their several places, she is said to have spoken to them in these following words :—

2. "You are here of our Council, and we have willed you to be called to us, to the intent you might hear of me my conscience, and the resolution of my mind, concerning the lands and possessions, as well of monasteries, as of other churches whatsoever, being now presently in my possession. First, I do consider that the said lands were taken away from the churches aforesaid in time of schism, and that by unlawful means, such as are contrary both to the law of God and of the Church; for the which cause my conscience doth not suffer me to detain them. And therefore I here expressly refuse either to claim or [to] retain the said lands for mine, but with all my heart freely and willingly, without all paction or condition, here and before God, I do surrender and relinquish the said lands1 and possessions or inheritances whatsoever, and do renounce the same, with this mind and purpose, that order and disposition thereof may be taken, as shall seem best liking to our most holy lord

1 Edd. 1, 2. “Laws.”

1556.

AN.REG. 4, the Pope, or else his Legate, the Lord Cardinal, to the honour of God, and wealth of this our realm. And albeit you may object to me again, that considering the state of my kingdom, and the dignity thereof, my Crown imperial1 cannot be honourably maintained and furnished without the possessions aforesaid; yet notwithstanding" (and so she had affirmed before, when she was bent upon the restitution of the tenths and first fruits 2) "I set more by the salvation of my soul than by ten such kingdoms; and therefore the said possessions I utterly refuse here to hold after that sort and title, and give most hearty thanks to Almighty God, which hath given me an husband likewise minded, with no less good affection in this behalf than I am myself. Wherefore I charge and command that my Chancellor (with whom I have conferred my mind in this matter before) and you four to-morrow do resort together to the most reverend Lord Legate, and do signify to him the premises in my name; and give your attendance upon him, for the more full declaration of the state of my kingdom, and of the aforesaid possessions, accordingly as you yourselves do understand the matter, and can inform him in the same3."

New foundation of West

bey.

3. Upon this opening of her mind, the Lords perceived it minster Ab- would be to no purpose to persuade the contrary, and therefore thought it requisite to direct some course wherein she might satisfy her desires to her own great honour, and yet not alienate too much at once of the public patrimony. The Abbey of Westminster had been founded in a convent of Benedictines, or Black Monks, by King Edward the Confessor; valued at the suppression by King Henry the Eighth at the yearly sum of 3977 pounds, in good old rents, anno 1539. At what time having taken to himself the best and greatest part of the lands thereof, he founded with the rest a Collegiate Church, consisting of a Dean and secular Canons; Benson, the last Abbot, being made the first Dean of this new erection. To Benson succeeded Dr Cox, and to him was substituted Dr Weston, in the first of this Queen. And, being preferred unto

1 Edd. "the dignity thereof, and my crown imperial.”

3 Fox, vii. 34, (who gives March 28, 1555 as the date).

4 According to Speed; but Dugdale's valuation is £3471. 9s. 24d. Monast. Angl. i. 230.

5

Sup. i. 125.