my letters, to the intent I may use myself in sending of a preacher thither, or writing to my Lord Protector, as the case shall require accordingly. And thus fare you heartily well. From my house at Wolvesey, the 3rd of May, 1547. STEPH WINT.

A Letter of the Lord Protector answering

to the Letter above.

his counsel and order; yet more gentleness was shewed to those books of images, than to the true and unfeigned books of God's word, both being abused, the one with idolatry, the other with contention. The Scripture was removed for a time from certain persons, and almost from all: the images were left still to them who most did abuse them, the thing being yet closed from them which should teach After hearty commendations, I received of the use. Wherefore it may appear unto us late two letters from your lordship, the one in- meet, more diligenter heed to be taken that closed in a letter of master Vaughan's to us, the abused before be not abused again, the adand directed to him, the other directed straight vantage of some priests, simplicity of layinen, unto us, very wittily and learnedly written, and great inclination of man's nature to idola whereby we do perceive how earnest you are try giving cause thereto.-They that condemn that no innovations should be had. The which images, because the matter that they are made mind of yours as we do highly esteem and al- of is but vile, as stocks and stones, may likelow, proceeding from one that would quietness, wise despise printing in paper because the so we would likewise wish, that you should take ink hath pitch in it, and the paper is made of good heed that too much fear of innovation or old rags. And if they be both alike, it might disturbance doth not cause both of them to be. be reasoned why a man should be more agMany times in an host, he that crieth enemies! grieved, that an image of wood, though it were enemies! when there be none, causeth not only of St. Anne, or St. Margaret, should be burned, disturbance, but sometimes a mutiny or rebel- than he will that the Bible, wherein the unlion to be made, and he that for fear of a sick- doubted word of God is comprised, should be ness to come taketh unadvisedly a purgation, torn in picces, burned or made paste of. Nor sometimes naketh himself sick indeed. We do we now speak of false Bibles, nor false gosperceive by the said your letters, that hainouser pels, but of the very true gospel, either in Latin, facts and words have been brought to your Greek, or English, which we see every day cares, than there was cause why: and those done, and sometime commanded, because the facts which were punishable be already by him translator displeaseth us; and yet herein no redrest. For the matter of Images, an order man exclaimeth of a terrible and detestable was taken in the late king of famous memory fact done. But let one image either for age, our sovereign lord's days. When the abused and because it is worm-eaten, or because it images (yet lurking in some places by negli- hath been foolishly abused, be burnt or abogence of them who should ere this time have lished, by and by some men are in exceeding looked unto the same), be now abolished, let rage, as though not a stock or a stone, but a not that be a matter of the abolishing of all true saint of flesh and bone should be cast into images. Though felons and adulterers be pu- the fire, which were a detestable and a terrible nished, all men be not slain. Though the sight. We cannot see but that images may be images which did adulterate God's glory be counted marvellous books to whom we have taken away, we may not think by and by all kneeled, whom we have kissed, upon whom we manner of images to be destroyed. Yet after have rubbed our beads and handkerchiefs, unto our advice, better it were for a time to abolish whom we have lighted candles, of whom we have them all, than that for the dead images the asked pardon and help, which thing hath seldom king's loving subjects, being faithful and true been seen done to the gospel of God, or the very to the king's majesty, should be put to variance true Bible. For who kissed that but the priest and disturbance. With quietness the magis- at the mass, at a painted picture, or in such a trates and rulers shall keep them well in order, ceremony? Or who kneeleth unto it, or setteth whom contentious preachers might irritate and a candle before it? and yet it seeth or heareth, provoke to disorder and strife. So it must be as well as the images or pictures either of St. provided that the king's majesty's images, arms John, or our Lady, or Christ.-Indeed images and ensigns, should be honoured and wor- be great letters; yet as big as they be, we have shipped, after the decent order and invention seen many which have read them amiss. And of human laws and ceremonies, and never- be like they be so likely to be read amiss, that theless that other images, contrary to God's God himself, fearing the Jews to become evil ordinances and laws, should not be made par- readers of them, generally did forbid them. fakers of that reverence, adoration and invo-Nor is it any great marvel though in reading cation, which (forbidden by God) should derogate his honour, and be occasion to accumulate God's rath upon us. Where they be taken for a remembrance, it maketh no great matter though they stand still in the church or market stead, following the late king of famous memory

Edward duke of Somerset. See No. 41 and 42.

of them the lay-people are many times deceived, when your lordship, as appeareth, hath not truly read a most true and a most common image. Your lordship hath found out, in the king's highness great seal, St. George on horseback, which the graver never made in it, nor the scaler ever sealed with it; and this inscription is not very little, and if it were, it could not escape your lordship's eyes. As the in

scription testifieth, the king's image is on both | the sides; on the one side as in war the chief captain; on the other side as in peace the liege sovereign; in harness with his sword drawn to defend his subjects; in his robes in the seat of justice with his sceptre rightfully to rule and govern them, as he whom both in peace and war we acknowledge our most natural and chiefest head, ruler and governor. If it were St. George, my lord, where is his spear and dragon? And why should the inscription round about tell an untruth, and not agree to the image? Yet it is called sometimes so of the rude and ignorant people; but not by and by, that, that is commonly called so, is always truest. And some have thought that by like deceiving, as your lordship herein appeareth to have been deceived, the image of Bellerophon or Perseus was turned first and appointed to be St. George, and of Polyphemus, of Hercules, or of some other Colossus, to be St. Christopher, because authentical histories have not fully proved their two lives. But those be indifferent to be true or not true, either thus invented upon some devise, or rising of a true fact or history, and whether it were true or not, it maketh no great matter.-It were hardly done indeed, my lord, if that you, and a few which can read, should take away from the unlearned multitude their books of their images: but it were more hardly done, if that you or a few which can read in one or two languages, (as Greek and Latin) the word of God, and have had thereby many reliefs and privileges, should pull away the English books from the rest which only understand English; and would have only your letters of Greek and Latin in estimation, and bind all them, which understand not these languages, from the knowledge of God's word. And indeed, my lord, by your saying, they have just occasion to suspect what is meant.--What you mean by true images and false images, it is not so easy to perceive. If they be only false images, which have nothing that they represent, as St. Paul writeth, An idol is nothing, because there is no such god, and therefore the cross can be no false image, because it is true that Christ suffered upon it: then the image of the sun and the moon were no idols, for such things there be as the sun and the moon, and they were in the image then so represented, as painting and carving doth represent them. And the image of Ninus and Cesar, and (as some write) the images of all the 12 chosen gods (as they called them) were the images of once living men, And it might be said that the image of God the Father hath no such eyes, nose, lips, and a long grey beard, with a furred robe, nor ever had, as they carve and paint big to have: But if that be a false image and an idol which is otherwise worshipped and accepted than it ought to be, as the brazen serpent, being a true image and representation of Christ, by abuse was made an idol; it may be thought in times past, and peradventure now at this time, in some places, the images not only of St. John or St. Anne,

but of our lady and Christ be false images and idols, representing to foolish, blind and ignorant mens hearts and thoughts, that which was not in them, and they ought not to be made for. The which were by you, my lord, to have been removed sooner, and before that the captain there should have need to have done it. But if your lordship be stack in such matters, he that removeth false images and idols abused doth not a thing worthy of blaine.-Christ called not the money, having Cæsar's image in it, an idol, when it was used to lawful uses, and to pay the duc tribute withal. But when a man doth not use those images graven in money to do his neighbour good and the commonwealth service, saint Paul, Christ's disciple, called that covetousness, and the serving and bondage to idols. So that even in money may be idolatry, if we make too much of those images which Christ here doth not reprehend. There be some so ticklish and so fearful one ways, and so tender stomacked, that they can abide no old abuses to be reformed, but think every reformation to be a capital enterprise against all religion and good order: as there be on the contrary side some too rash, who having no consideration what is to be done, headlong will set upon every thing. The magistrate's duty is betwixt these, so in a mean to sce and provide that old doting should not take further or deeper rust in the commonwealth, neither ancient error overcome the seen and tried truth nor long abuse, for the age and space of time only, still be suffered and yet all these with quietness and gentieness, and without all contention, if it were possible, to be reformed. To the which your lordship, as a man to whom God hath given great qualities of wit, learning, and persuasion, could bring great help and furtherance, if it were your pleasure, with great thanks of men and reward of God." The which thing is our full desire and purpose, and our hearty and daily prayer to God, that in the king's majesty's time, whose majesty's reign God preserve, all abuses with wisdom reformed, Christ's religion with good and politic order of the Commonwealth, without any contention and strife among the king's subjects, might flourish and daily increase. And this to your lordships letter sent to master Vaughan of Portsmouth.

Winchester to the Lord Protector.

May it please your grace to understand, that I have noted some points in my lord of Saint David's sermon, which I send unto you herewith, whereby to declare unto you some part what I think, for the whole I cannot express: somewhat I shall incumber you with my babbling, but he hath incumbered some friends more with his tattling. And alas, my lord, this is a piteous case, that having so much business as ye have, these inward disorders should be added unto them, to the courage of such as would this realm any ways evil. For this is the thing they would desire, with hope thereby to disorder this realm, being now a time rather to

religion assaulted, the realm troubled, and hand and tongue, a dissolution and dissipation peaceable men disquieted, with occasion given of all estates, clean contrarious to the place to enemies to point and say, that after Wick- God hath called your grace unto. For it tendliffe's strange teaching in the Sacraments of cth all to confusion and disorder, which is the Christ's Church hath vexed other, it is finally effect of untruth.-Bale hath set forth a prayer turned unto us to molest and scourge us, for for the duke John of Saxony, wherein the other fruit cannot Bale's teaching have, ne the duke remitteth to God's judgment to be teaching of such other as go about to trouble shewed here in this world the justness of his the agreement established here. In which cause concerning religion, and desireth God, matter I dare not desire your grace specially if his cause be not good, to order him to to look earnestly unto it, lest I should seem to be taken, and to be spoiled of his honour and note in you that which becometh me not. And possessions, with many such gay words whereI know, that your grace being otherwise occu- by to tempt God; since which prayer the duke pied, these things may creep in as it hath been is indeed taken as all the world saith, and at heretofore; sometime it may be hard for your the time of his taking, as the account is made, grace to find out or pull out the root of this such strangeness in the sun, as we saw it here, naughtiness: but yet I am so bold to write of as hath not been seen. They happened both these, of mine own stomach, who have ever together, this we know, and be both marvelused, for discharge of myself, to say and write lous; but whether the one were a token orderin time and place as I thought might do good ed to concur with the other, God knoweth, and for relief of the matter, remitting the rest to man cannot define. Many commonwealths the disposition of God, who hath wrought have continued without the bishop of Rome's wonders in these matters, since they were first jurisdiction, but without true religion, and with moved, and given me such knowledge and ex- such opinions as Germany maintained, no esperience in them, as I ought to take them, as tate hath continued in the circuit of the world they be, for corruption and untruth; I mean to us known since Christ came. For the Turks knowledge and experience of them that be and Tartars government is as it were a continuchief stirrers, to infect with untruth, as they al war, and they uphold their rule with subducannot speak or report truly in common mat-ing of nobility by fire and sword. Germany ters. The pretence is of the spirit, and all is for the flesh, women, and meat, with liberty of

his highness was fully persuaded, that the bishop's secretary, being in such special favour with his master, would never stand so stiff in defence of the bishop of Rome's usurped power and authority, without his said master's both advice, knowledge, and persuasion. For al ready, quoth the king, he played but an homely part with me, when he was embassador to the Pope concerning my cause of divorce. And therefore, quoth the king to me, send for him my lord incontinently, and by assistance of two or three more of the council, whom you think good, let him be committed to the Tower, to answer to such things as may be objected against him. This communication was in the evening, so that we purposed to have executed the king's pleasure and commandment the next morning. Howbeit our talk was not so secret, but that some of his friends of the privy chamber, where he had many friends then, suspecting the matter, sent him word thereof. Who incontinently repaired to the king's presence, and finding some matter to minister unto the king, his highness said to the bishop, We do marvel that your secretary hath thus notoriously of fended against us and our laws. It is surely thought that you are not all clear in this of fence, but that you are of the same opinion with him, and therefore my lord be plain with me, and let me know if you be that way infected or no. If you will tell me the truth, I will rather pardon the fault; but if you halt or dissemble with me, look for no favour at my hand. With this monition Winchester fell down upon his knees, and besought his majesty

with their new religion could never have stood, though the emperor had let them alone: for if

of mercy and pardon, manifestly confessing that he had long time been of that opinion with his said secretary: and there bewailing himself promised from that day forward to reform his opinion and become a new mau. Well, quoth the king, this way you have of me that which otherwise you should never have obtained. I am content to remit all things past, and pardon you upon your amendment.-The next morning I had word how the matter was handled, whereupon I came to his highness and said; Your majesty hath prevented our commission, which I and other had from your grace concerning my lord of Winchester's committing to the Tower. Wot you what, quoth the king; He hath confessed himself as guilty in this matter as his man, and hath with much sorrow and pensiveness sued for my pardon; and you know what my nature and custom hath been in such matters, ever more to pardon them that will not dissemble but confess their fault. Thus wilily and politicly he got himself out of our hands. But if I had suspected this, I would have bad him in the Tower over night, and stopped his journey to the court. Well, said my lord of Canterbury, he was evermore too good for you all. Moreover as touching this foresaid bishop of Winchester, forsomuch as he in king Edward's time bragged so much of his old master of famous memory king Henry the eighth, to the intent that the glorious vanity of this bishop, and of all other like unto him, may appear more notoriously to all men, here is to be noted by the testification as well of master Denny, as also of sir Henry Nevil, who were