II.

visit the deaneries of Elham and Bridge; September 24, in CHAP. the same place, the deaneries of Charing and Lymme; September 26, in the church of Sittingbourn, the deaneries of Anno 1560. Sittingbourn and Ospring; September 28, in the church of Maidstone, the deanery of Sutton.

sited.

At this time the Archbishop's visitors, under one, visited Rochester also the church and diocese of Rochester, by virtue of his diocese vicommission granted them and kept the visitation in the church of Rochester, September 30, Mr. Walter Philips being now Dean there. The visitors were the same that visited the church and diocese of Canterbury; viz. Yale, Leeds, &c. Then Richard Turner, the same man perhaps that had been of great fame for a great while in Kent, for his abilities and sufferings for religion, now Vicar of Dertford, preached a sermon before them. This Turner was towards the latter end of King Edward's reign preferred to a prebend of Windsor: but soon after became a voluntary exile for religion. See more of him in the Memorials of Arch- Cran. Mem. b. ii. ch. 28. bishop Cranmer, who had recommended him for Archbishop of Armagh.

CHAP. III.

Divers dioceses visited. Some difference between the Archbishop and Bishop Sandys. The Archbishop makes statutes. Lands of the see of Canterbury exchanged. Regulates his courts, and other matters in his church. Moves the Queen to marry. The Archbishop in ecclesiastical commission; makes a reformation of divers matters in the Church. Alteration of the Lessons in the Calendar. Book of Homilies. Bucer and Fagius restored. The Queen dines at Lambeth.

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OUR Archbishop, pursuant to this his metropolitical visit- Commis

sions for

ation, gave out divers commissions this year, and appointed visitations. divers commissioners for other dioceses. As namely; Park.

Regist.

II.

BOOK A commission, dated August the 8th, to Robert Weston, LL.D. to visit the city and diocese of Coventry and LitchAnno 1560. field, vice et authoritate reverendissimi Patris Archiepiscopi Cantuariensis.

Hist. Pe

A commission of the date above, to Thomas Bishop of St. David's, to visit the cathedral church, city, and diocese of St. David's, vice et authoritate reverendissimi Patris, &c.

A commission of the date above, to Richard Bishop of St. Asaph, to visit the diocese of St. Asaph, vice et authoritate, &c.

A commission to Roland Bishop of Bangor, of the date above, to visit that diocese, vice et authoritate, &c.

A commission to Gilbert Bishop of Bath and Wells, of the date above, to visit that diocese, vice et authoritate, &c. A commission to John Bishop of Sarum, dated September 8, to visit the cities and dioceses of Sarum and Bristol, jure metropolitico.

A commission to Thomas Powel, LL.D. dated December 3, to visit the city and diocese of Gloucester.

A commission, dated November 9, to John Cottrel, LL.D. to visit the cathedral church of Sarum. The visitation of this cathedral the Archbishop prudently declined to commit to the Bishop of the said diocese, that all occasion of contest between the Bishop and the Dean and Chapter might be avoided. Because the Archbishop was informed, that if the Bishop of Sarum should visit that church, the rites, liberties, privileges, and immunities of the said church by such visitation, though in the Archbishop's name, might be hurt, by reason of the example of it: therefore, because he was tender of doing any prejudice to their pretended liberties and privileges, and to keep all fair between the Bishop and them, he issued his commission to this Dr. Cottrel to be visitor of that cathedral.

A commission to Yale and Leeds, bearing date Decemterb. p. 330. ber 19, to visit the church, city, and diocese of Peterborough. To which two commissioners, Gunton, in his History of Peterborough, addeth John Pory, D.D. This vi

III.

sitation was held January the 9th, when they gave injunc- CHAP. tions and ordinations, in number nine, to the Dean and Chapter, published in the chapter-house.

Another commission, dated February 19, to William Bynsley, Bachelor of Law, and Anthony Burton, Clerk, ad reformand. detecta; that is, to punish, censure, and correct what crimes had been detected in the diocese of Peterborough, in the late visitation of it.

Anno 1560.

In this visitation the Archbishop drew up two forms to An oath and subscription be made use of: the one was an oath to be exhibited to the enjoined the Clergy, and to such as were to make presentments; the Clergy. other, a subscription to be made by all such as had any ecclesiastical preferments; which consisted in a declaration of 77 the Queen's supremacy, owning the Book of Common Prayer, and the Queen's injunctions.

The oath ran in this tenor: "You shall swear that you The oath. "shall be faithful and obedient unto the Queen's Majesty, Lambethan, E MSS. "her heirs and successors, to the uttermost of your power, "understanding, and learning. You shall maintain and "set forth all statutes and laws, and the religion received "by her Grace, or her heirs or successors, and the injunc"tions at this present time exhibited by her Grace, her "officers and commissioners; and that you shall make true presentment of all such things as are to be presented in "this visitation. So help you God, and by the contents of "the book."

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The subscription was thus: "We acknowledge and con- The sub❝fess the restoring again of the ancient jurisdiction over scription. "the state ecclesiastical and spiritual of this realm of Eng"land, to the crown of this realm; the abolishing of all "foreign power repugnant to the same, according to an "act thereof made in the late Parliament begun at West"minster the 23d day of January, in the first year of the reign of our Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth, and there "continued and kept to the 8th of May next ensuing; the "administration of the Sacraments, the use and order of "divine service, in manner and form as it is set forth in the "book commonly called, The Book of Common Prayer, &c.

66

II.

Anno 1560.

BOOK "established by the same; and the order and rules con"tained in the injunctions given by the Queen's Majesty, "and exhibited unto us in this present visitation; to be "according to the true word of God, and agreeable to the "doctrine and use of the primitive and apostolic Church. "In witness of the premises to be true, we have unfeignedly hereunto subscribed our names." The original of this, with the numerous subscriptions of the Clergy in divers parchment rolls, remain yet in the Lambeth library. And Dr. Cottrel. the first subscriber was Dr. Cottrel, who thus subscribed; Ego Joannes Cottrel volens subscripsi: according to which form the rest followed. He was Doctor of Laws, Archdeacon of Derby, and one of the members of the famous Synod anno 1562, and of whom the Archbishop made much use afterwards. Among some of the first subscribers was Henry Syd- Henry Syddal, a thorough-paced man, who being a Canon of Christ's Church, Oxon, had complied in the beginning of King Edward's reign, and was a great zealot the other way under Queen Mary, and one of those that were much about Archbishop Cranmer at Oxford, when he was induced to recant. His subscription I find again as Vicar of Walthamstow in Essex. And many such temporizing Priests there were among these subscribers; some whereof got others to subscribe for them, eorum vice et nomine. And some of the volens are so written, as if they were nolens rather. Some also there were that chose in their subscriptions to signify their good-will to the reformed religion. Such was one Edward Walker, at Woodstock, who subscribed in these words; Ego Edwardus Walker, hic nomen meum volens et non coactus subscribo, veram in sacra Dei religione a superis reformationem implorans.

dal.

This metropolitical visitation thus begun this year, continued on the next year, and the next to that, as we shall see when we come so far.

I do not find as yet what was detected in these dioceses abovesaid in this visitation: nor if I had, would it be convenient here to set all down, for the avoiding prolixity. But for a taste; the Bishop of Bath and Wells had many

Priests in

of Bath and

a stiff Papist in his diocese, and many others that being in- CHAP. cumbents of livings went abroad, absenting themselves, and III. left proxies to take their benefices for their advantage. Anno 1560. Whereupon the Archbishop gave him this instruction, at Popish his going upon this visitation: namely, to deprive all Popish the diocese Priests that refused conformity, or were absent, with what Wells. speed he might, and to put others in their rooms. So in his visitation he intended to proceed to deprive them in eighteen days, if they appeared not. Some of these Priests went over the seas. One particularly went with Count * De * Perhaps Verio, a Spaniard. These left proxies in their livings, and they made leases of them for one and twenty years. And one of these proxies boldly told the Bishop, that unless he would give him institution, he would wage law against him. So the Archbishop bade him proceed roundly with them: whose order I suppose he followed in his visitation.

De Feria.

Worcester

Sandys also, Bishop of Worcester, visited his diocese for 78 the Archbishop. And his method in his visiting, was to Bishop of send process in writing for the appearances of the respective visits that Parsons, Vicars, or Curates of the parishes; the church- diocese. wardens, and six others of each parish, to be sworn to make true presentments upon articles of inquiry. Among other things informed of in Worcester, in the parish where Sir John Bourn (late Secretary to Queen Mary) lived, information was made by these sworn men, of an altar stone standing in that church. Which the Bishop commanded to be pulled down and defaced, according to the Queen's injunctions. But the said Knight commanded the contrary, and that it should not be broken and defaced, but reserved; and in contempt of the Bishop, caused it to be borne out of the church, and carried home to his own house, and there it remained. Thus it was informed the Bishop, and the Bishop had, in some difference afterwards between them, so informed the Queen's Council. But Sir John Bourn in his answer made this favourable pretence for himself; that the altar stone was taken down a year before the Bishop came to the church, and that it was reserved and laid aside towards the pavement of one of the aisles; nor was ever brought to his house, nor car