41, 42. The Contents of Scipio's Letter to Mr. Jewel. The Sum of Mr. Jewel's Answer.

Scipio, a gentleman of Venice, formerly familiar with Mr. Jewel, (whilst he was a student in Padua,) wrote now an expostulating letter unto him, being lately made bishop of Salisbury: Wherein he much admired that England should send no ambassador, nor message, nor letter to excuse their nation's absence from the general appearance of Christianity in the sacred Council of Trent. He highly extolled the antiquity and use of general councils, as the only means to decide controversies in religion, and compose the distractions in the church; concluding it a superlative sin for any to decline the authority thereof.

To this Mr. Jewel returned a large and solemn answer. Now, although he wrote it as a private person, yet, because the subject thereof was of public concernment, take the principal heads thereof :

*

First. That a great part of the world professing the name of Christ, (as Greeks, Armenians, Abyssinians, &c. with all the eastern church,) were neither sent to, nor summoned to this council.

Secondly. That England's absence was not so great a wonder, seeing many other kingdoms and free states (as Denmark, Sweden, Scotland, princes of Germany, and Hanse-towns) were not represented in this council, by any of their ambassadors.

Thirdly. That this pretended council was not called according to the ancient custom of the church, by the imperial authority, but by papal usurpation.

Fourthly. That Trent was a petty place, not of sufficient receipt for such multitudes as necessarily should repair to a general council. Fifthly. That pope Pius IV. by whose command the council was re-assembled, purchased his place by the unjust practices of Simony and bribery, and managed it with murder and cruelty.

Sixthly. That repairing to councils was a free act; and none ought to be condemned of contumacy, if it stood more with their conveniency to stay at home.

Seventhly. That anciently it was accepted as a reasonable excuse of holy bishops absenting or withdrawing themselves from any council, if they vehemently suspected aught would be acted therein prejudicial to the truth, lest their (though not active) included concurrence might be interpreted a countenancing thereof.

Eighthly. Our English bishops were employed in feeding their flocks, and governing their churches, and could not be spared from their charge without prejudice to their consciences.

See it at large at the end of the "History of the Council of Trent." VOL. II.

H H

Ninthly. The members of the council of Trent, both bishops and abbots, were by oath pre-engaged to the pope "to defend and maintain his authority against all the world."

Lastly. In what capacity should the English clergy appear in this council? They could not as free persons, to debate matters therein; being pre-condemned for heretics by pope Julius. They would not come as offenders, to hear the sentence pronounced against themselves which they had heard of before.

What effect this letter produced I find not. Sure I am, no papists as yet have made an effectual refutation of the reasons rendered therein.

43. Westminster Collegiate Church re-founded by Queen

Elizabeth.

The bells of St. Peter's in Westminster had strangely rung the changes these last thirty years: within which time, First, It was a stately and rich convent of Benedictine monks. Secondly. It was made a collegiate church of dean and prebendaries by king Henry VIII. Thirdly. By the same king, it was made an episcopal see, and Thomas Thirlby (who having wasted the church's patrimony, surrendered it to the spoil of courtiers) the first and last bishop thereof. Fourthly. Queen Mary re-seated the abbot and monks in the possession thereof, who were outed after her death. Lastly. This year queen Elizabeth converted it again into a collegiate church, founding therein maintenance for one dean, twelve prebendaries, as many old soldiers past service for alms-men, and forty scholars, who in due time are preferred to the universities; so that it hath proved one of the most renowned seminaries of religion and learning in the whole nation.

44, 45. The Pope trieth again in vain to seduce the Queen. The Death of Sir Edward Carne.

Pope Pius, though unsuccessful in his addresses last year to the queen, yet was not so disheartened but that once more he would try what might be effected therein. To which purpose he employed the abbot of Martinegi with most loving letters unto her, desiring leave to come over into England. But the queen, knowing it less difficulty and danger to keep him, than to cast him, out of her dominions, forbade his entrance into the realm, as against the laws of the land. So that he was fain to deliver his errand, and receive his answer, (and that a denial,) at distance, in the Low Countries. As little success had the bishop of Viterbo, the pope's nuncio to the king of France, secretly dealing with Sir Nicholas Throgmorton, the queen's agent there, to persuade her to send ambassadors

to the council of Trent; which, for the reasons afore-mentioned, was justly refused.

Sir Edward Carne, the queen's lieger at Rome, doctor of civil law, knighted by the emperor Charles V. pretended that as the queen would not suffer the pope's nuncio to come into England, so the pope would not permit him to depart Rome. Whereas, indeed, the cunning old man was not detained, but detained himself; so well pleased was he with the place and his office therein; where soon after he died, the last lieger of the English nation to Rome publicly avowed in that employment.

46. Paul's Steeple burned down.

This year the spire of Paul's steeple, covered with lead, strangely fell on fire, attributed by several persons to sundry causes some, that it was casually blasted with lightning; others, that it was mischievously done by art-magic; and others, (and they the truest,) done by the negligence of a plumber carelessly leaving his coals therein. The fire burned for five full hours; in which time it melted all the lead of the church, only the stone arches escaping the fury thereof. But, by the queen's bounty, and a collection from the clergy, it was afterwards repaired; only the blunt tower had not the top thereof sharpened into a spire as before.

47, 48. Papists stickle in Merton College; are curbed by the Archbishop's Visitation.

A petty rebellion happened in Merton College in Oxford, (small in itself, great in the consequence thereof, if not seasonably suppressed,) on this occasion :-Some Latin superstitious hymns, formerly sung on festivals, had, by order of the late Warden, Dr. Gervas, been abolished, and English psalms appointed in their place. Now when Mr. Leach, a Fellow in the House, on Allholland-day last had the book in his hand, ready to begin the psalm, in springs one Mr. William Hall, a senior Fellow, offering to snatch it from him, with an intent to cast it into the fire; adding moreover, that they would no more dance after his pipe. This was done in the interval of the vacancy of the Wardenship. For, though John Man was lawfully chosen to the place, yet Hall and his popish faction (whereof Mr. Potto, Mr. Binnion, and Sir Appleby, the leaders) opposed his admission. And whereas in this House great was the power of a senior Fellow (especially in office) over the young scholars, Hall raised such a persecution against them that it was penal for any to be a protestant.

Archbishop Parker, hearing hereof, summoneth Hall to appear Manuscript records of Canterbury in Matthew Parker, page 322.

before him; who cared so little for the same, that some of his party plucked off the seal from the citation, which was affixed to the gates of the college. Whereupon his Grace made a solemn visitation of that college, May 26th, wherein all were generally examined, Man confirmed Warden, Hall justly expelled, his party publicly admonished, the young scholars relieved, papists curbed and suppressed, protestants countenanced and encouraged in the whole university.

49, 50. Cranmer's Children restored in Blood.

An Act for

translating the Bible into Welsh. A. D. 1563. A parliament was called, January 11th,* wherein a Bill passed for the assurance of certain lands assumed by the queen from some bishoprics during their vacation; another, for the restitution in blood of the children of Thomas Cranmer, late archbishop of Canterbury. Here fain would I be informed, by some learned in the law, what needed the restoring of those children whose father was condemned, and died only for heresy? which is conceived a personal crime, and not tainting the blood. For although this archbishop was first accused of high treason, yet it afterwards was waved, and he tried upon heretical opinions. Except any will say, that because not solemnly and formally pardoned, in majorem cautelam, such an act was not amiss, or else done, not so much for the use of the living children, as honour of their dead father.

A third Bill passed for the translating of the Bible into the Welsh tongue; which since the Reformation may hitherto be said to have been read in Latin in their congregations; English being Latin to them, as, in the most parishes of Wales, utterly un-understood. This, some years after, was performed, principally by the endeavours of William Morgan,‡ doctor of divinity, afterwards bishop of Landaff, and thence preferred to St. Asaph; but worthy, for his work, of better advancement.

51-54. The thirty-nine Articles compiled in Convocation; why

favourably drawn up in general Terms. Most Confessors who composed the Articles. English Articles and Trent Decrees, Contemporaries.

In the Convocation now sitting, January 29th, wherein Alexander Nowell, dean of St. Paul's, was prolocutor, the nine-and-thirty Articles were composed. For the main, they agree with those set forth in the reign of king Edward VI. though in some particulars allowing more liberty to dissenting judgments. For instance: in

• Parliament Rolls, quinto Elizabetha. † I have read that he was condemned of treason, (CROMPTON'S "Juris. Courts," fol. 2, b,) which treason was released unto him; and yet he, saith HOLINSHED, excepted out of the general pardon :-intricacies I understand not. 1 GODWIN in his "Catalogue of Bishops," page 641.

this king's Articles it is said, "that it is to be believed, that Christ went down to hell, to preach to the spirits there;" which last clause is left out in these Articles, and men left to a latitude concerning the cause, time, and manner of his descent.

Hence some have unjustly taxed the composers for too much favour extended in their large expressions, clean through the contexture of these Articles, which should have tied men's consciences up closer in more strict and particularizing propositions; which, indeed, proceeded from their commendable moderation: children's clothes ought to be made of the biggest, because afterwards their bodies will grow up to their garments. Thus, the Articles of this English Protestant Church, in the infancy thereof, they thought good to draw up in general terms, foreseeing that posterity would grow up to fill the same. I mean, these holy men did prudently pre-discover, that differences in judgments would unavoidably happen in the church, and were loath to un-church any, and drive them off from an ecclesiastical communion, for such petty differences; which made them pen the Articles in comprehensive words to take in all, who, differing in the branches, meet in the root, of the same religion.

Indeed, most of them had formerly been sufferers themselves, and cannot be said, in compiling these Articles, (an acceptable service, no doubt,) to offer to God what cost them nothing, 2 Sam. xxiv. 24; some having paid imprisonment-others, exile-all, losses in their estates for this their experimental knowledge in religion; which made them the more merciful and tender in stating those points, seeing such who have been most patient in bearing, will be most pitiful in burdening the consciences of others.

It is observable, these Articles came forth much about the time wherein the Decrees of the Council of Trent were published; truth and falsehood starting in some sort both together, though the former will surely carry away the victory at long running. Many of which Decrees begin with lying, and all conclude with cursing,-thundering anathemas against all dissenters: whilst these our Articles, like the still voice, only plainly express the positive truth.

55. The thirty-nine Articles confirmed by Parliament; but only imposed on Clergymen.

But some nine years after, namely, anno 1571, the parliament confirmed these Articles so far, that every clerk should, before the Nativity of Christ next following, subscribe the same; and hereafter every person, promoted to an ecclesiastical living, should, within a time prefixed, publicly in the time of Divine service, read and profess his consent to the same, on pain of deprivation ipso facto, if omitted."

See the Statutes in decimo-tertio Elizabethæ, cap. 12.