And now that act being passed, together with the extirpation of the pope's authority, and the A stop is put power being lodged in the king to correct and reform heresies, idolatries, and to these cruel abuses, the standard of the catholic faith being also declared to be the Scriptures, proceedings. the persocuted preachers had ease and encouragement everywhere. They also saw that the necessity of the king's affairs would constrain him to be gentle to them, for the sentence which the pope gave against the king was committed to the emperor to be executed by him, who was then aspiring to an universal monarchy; and therefore as soon as his other wars gave him leisure to look over to England and Ireland, he had now a good colour to justify an invasion both from the pope's sentence, and the interests and honour of his family in protecting his aunt and her daughter. Therefore the king was obliged to give him work elsewhere, in order to which his interest obliged him to join himself to the princes of Germany, who had at Smalcald entered into a league offensive and defensive, for the liberty of religion and the rights of the empire. This was a thorn in the emperor's side, which the king's interest would oblige him by all means to maintain. Upon which the reformers in England concluded, that either the king, to recommend himself to these princes, would relax the severities of the law against them; or otherwise, that their friends in Germany would see to it for in these first fervours of reformations, the princes made that always a condition in their treaties, that those who favoured their doctrine might be no more persecuted.

But their chief encouragement was from the queen, who reigned in the king's heart as The Queen absolutely as he did over his subjects, and was a known favourer of them. She favoured the took Shaxton and Latimer to be her chaplains, and soon after promoted them to Reformers. the bishoprics of Salisbury and Worcester, then vacant by the deprivation of Campegio and Ghinuccii; and in all other things cherished and protected them, and used her most effectual endeavours with the king to promote the reformation. Next to her, Cranmer Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, was a professed favourer of it, who, besides promoted the the authority of his character and see, was well fitted for carrying it on, being a Reformation. very learned and industrious man. He was at great pains to collect the sense of ancient writers upon all the heads of religion, by which he might be well directed in such an important matter. I have seen two volumes in folio written with his own hand, containing upon all the heads of religion, a vast heap both of places of Scripture, and quotations out of ancient fathers, and later doctors and schoolmen; by which he governed himself in that work. There is also an original letter of the lord Burleigh's extant, which I have seen, in which he writes that he had six or seven volumes of his writings, all which, except two other, that I have seen, are lost, for aught I can understand. From which it will appear in the sequel of this work, that he neither copied from foreign writers, nor proceeded rashly in the reformation. He was a man of great temper, and as I have seen in some of his letters to Osiander, and some of Osiander's answers to him, he very much disliked the violence of the German divines. He was gentle in his whole behaviour, and though he was a man of too great candour and simplicity to be refined in the arts of policy, yet he managed his affairs with great prudence; which did so much recommend him to the king, that no ill offices were ever able to hurt him. It is true, he had some singular opinions about ecclesiastical functions and offices, which he seemed to make wholly dependent on the magistrate, as much as the civil were; but as he never studied to get his opinion in that made a part of the doctrine of the church, reserving only to himself the freedom of his own thoughts, which I have reason to think he did afterwards either change, or at least was content to be overruled in it,—so it is clear that he held not that opinion to get the king's favour by it, for in many other things, as in the business of the six articles, he boldly and freely argued, both in the convocation and the house of peers, against that which he know was the king's mind, and took his life in his hands, which had certainly been offered at a stake, if the king's esteem of him had not been proof against all attempts. Next him, or rather above him, was Cromwell, who was made the king's vicegerent in ecclesiastical matters. A man of mean birth, but noble qualities, as appeared in two signal instances, the one being his pleading in parliament so zealously and successfully for the fallen and disgraced cardinal, whose secretary he was, when Gardiner, though more obliged by him, had basely forsaken him. This was thought so just

Assisted by
Cromwell.

VOL. I.

K

and generous in him, that it did not at all hinder his preferment, but raised his credit higher; such a demonstration of gratitude and friendship in misfortune being so rare a thing in a court. The other was his remembering the merchant of Lucca, that had pitied and relieved him when he was a poor stranger there, and expressing most extraordinary acknowledgments and gratitude, when he was afterwards in the top of his greatness, and the other did not so much as know him, much less pretend to any returns for past favours, which showed that he had a noble and generous temper; only he made too much haste to be great and rich. He joined himself in a firm friendship to Cranmer, and did promote the reformation very vigorously.

The Duko of Norfolk

But there was another party in the court, that wrestled much against it; the head of it was the duke of Norfolk, who though he was the queen's uncle, yet was her mortal enemy. He was a dexterous courtier and complied with the king, both and Gardiner in his divorce and separation from Rome, yet did upon all occasions persuade the opposed it. king to innovate nothing in religion. IIis great friend that joined all along with him in those counsels was Gardiner bishop of Winchester, who was a crafty and politic man, and understood the king well, and complied with his temper in everything; he despised Cranmer, and hated all reformation. Longland, that had been the king's confessor, was also managed by them; and they had a great party in the court, and almost all the church-men were on their side.

That which prevailed most with the king was, that himself had writ a book in defence Reasons of the faith, and they said, would he now retract that which all learned against the men admired so much? or would he encourage Luther and his party, who had Reformation. treated him with so little respect? If he went to change the doctrines that were formerly received, all the world would say he did it in spite to the pope, which would cast a great dishonour on him, as if his passion governed his religion. Foreign princes, who in their hearts did not much blame him for what he had hitherto done, but rather wished for a good opportunity to do the like, would now condemn him if he meddled with the religion; and his own subjects, who complied with that which he had done, and were glad to be delivered from foreign jurisdiction, and the exactions of the court of Rome, would not bear a change of the faith, but might be thereby easily set on, by the emissaries of the pope or emperor, to break out in rebellion. These things being managed skilfully, and agreeing with his own private opinion, wrought much on him; and particularly what was said about his own book, which had been so much commended to him, that he was almost made believe it was written by a special inspiration of the Holy Ghost.

But on the other side Cranmer represented to him, that since he had put down the pope's authority, it was not fit to let those doctrines be still taught, which had no other Reasons for it. foundation but the decrees of popes. And he offered upon the greatest hazard to prove, that many things, then received as articles of faith, were no better grounded; therefore he pressed the king to give order to hear and examine things freely, that when the pope's power was rejected, the people might not be obliged to believe doctrines which had. no better warrant. And for political counsels, he was to do the duty of a good christian prince, and leave the event to God; and things might be carried on with that due care, that the justice and reasonableness of the king's proceedings should appear to all the world. And whereas it was objected, that the doctrines of the catholic church ought not to be examined by any particular church; it was answered, that when all Christendom were under one emperor, it was easy for him to call general councils, and in such circumstances it was fit to stay for one; and yet even then, particular churches did in their national synods condemn heresies, and reform abuses. But the state of Christendom was now altered, it was under many princes, who had different interests, and therefore they thought it a vain expectation to look for any such council. The protestants of Germany had now for above ten years desired the emperor to procure one, but to no effect; for sometimes the pope would not grant it, and at other times the French king protested against it. The former year the pope had sent to the king to offer a general council, to be held at Mantua this year, but the king found that was but an illusion; for the marquess of Mantua protested he would not admit such a number of strangers as a council would draw together into his

Hall.

town; yet the king promised to send his ambassadors thither when the council met. But now the king consulting his prelates, whether the emperor might by his authority summon a general council, as the Roman emperors had done: some of them gave the following A resolution answer, copied from the original that is yet extant, which might have been of some bish- written any time between the year 1534, in which Thomas Goodrick was made ops about tho bishop of Ely, and the year 1540, in which John Clark, bishop of Bath and calling of a general coun- Wells, died; but I incline to think from other circumstances, that it was written about the end of the year 1534.

cil.

For the General Council.

"Though that in the old time, when the empire of Rome had his ample dominion over Ex MSS. the most part of the world, the first four general councils (the which at all times D.D. Stil- have been of most estimation in the church of Christ) were called and gathered lingflect. by the emperor's commandment, and for a godly intent; that heresies might be extinct, schisms put away, good order and manners in the ministers of the church and the people of the same established. Like as many councils more were called; till now of late by the negligence as well of the emperor as other princes, the bishop of Rome hath been suffered to usurp this power; yet now, for so much that the empire of Rome and the monarchy of the same hath no such general dominion, but many princes have absolute power in their own realms, and a whole and entire monarchy, no one prince may by his authority call any general council, but if that any one or more of these princes for the establishing of the faith, for the extirpation of schisms, &c. lovingly, charitably, with a good sincere intent, to a sure place, require any other prince, or the rest of the great princes, to be content to agree that for the wealth, quietness, and tranquillity of all christian people, by his or their free consent, a general council might be assembled; that prince or those princes so required are bound by the order of charity, for the good fruit that may come of it, to condescend and agree thereunto, having no lawful impediment nor just cause moving to the contrary. The chief causes of the general councils are before expressed.

"In all the ancient councils of the church, in matters of the faith and interpretation of the Scripture, no man made definitive subscription but bishops and priests, forsomuch as the declaration of the word of God pertaineth unto them.

ral council.

Ex MSS.

T. CANTUARIEN.
CUTHBERTUS DUNELMEN.
JO. BATH. WELLEN.
THO. ELIEN.

But besides this resolution, I have seen a long speech of Cranmer's, written by one of his secretaries. It was spoken soon after the parliament had passed the acts formerly mentioned, for it relates to them as lately done; it was delivered either in the house of lords, the upper A speech of house of convocation, or at the council board; but I rather think it was in the Cranmer's, house of lords, for it begins, "My lords." The matter of it does so much concern about a gene- the business of reformation, that I know the reader will expect I should set down the heads of it. It appears he had been ordered to inform the house about D.D. Stil- these things. The preamble of his speech runs upon this conceit: "That as Jingfleet. rich men flying from their enemies, carry away all they can with them, and what they cannot take away they either hide or destroy it; so the court of Rome had destroyed so many ancient writings and hid the rest, having carefully preserved everything that was of advantage to them, that it was not easy to discover what they had so artificially concealed. Therefore in the canon law, some honest truths were yet to be found, but so mislaid that they are not placed where one might expect them, but are to be met with in some other chapters, where one would least look for them. And many more things said by the ancients of the see of Rome and against their authority were lost, as appears by the fragments yet remaining. He showed that many of the ancients called everything which they thought well done of Divine institution, by a large extent of the phrase, in which sense the passages of many fathers that magnified the see of Rome were to be understood.