III. BOOK "enitendum, ne nostra Heroina frangatur animo, aut offendatur ad verrucas paucorum, ac interea ad multoAnno 1566." rum tubera conniveat. Malesanus est nostrorum zelus, "at Papistarum deliria quavis peste nocentiora. "Et Dom. Jesus pietatem tuam nobis diutissime servet in"columem. From Somersham 3 Maii 1566. "Your Grace's assured, Bullinger's judgment printed by Bishop Grindal. By which letter it appears, that the great fears among the wise and good men were, that the Queen, taking offence at these differences among her Protestant subjects, should incline the more to her Popish subjects. And upon that account Bishop Cox reckoned the Puritans the more to be blamed, as endangering even the Gospel itself by their stubborn incompliances. For that this reverend Father seems to mean by those expressions: "In the mean time we must take care, and endeavour by all means, lest our royal Mistress "be discouraged, or offended with the little warts of a few, "and wink at the greater sores of many. Ours are guilty "of a wild zeal, but the madness of Papists do more harm "than any plague." 66 And Grindal, Bishop of London, a wise and learned man, but reputed to be not vigorous enough in these matters, was often upon the bench in the commission at Lambeth, in order to the reproof and restraint of these men. For he saw now these contentions about indifferent things did not edify, but divide the Churches, and sow discord among brethren. And therefore, as a means to allay them, caused to be printed in Latin and English the judgment of Bullinger, which he sent over hither to Grindal, Horn, and Parkhurst, concerning the habits and the lawfulness of wearing them; but drawn up for the satisfaction of Sampson and Humfrey. Which had so good an effect, that many who had resolved to leave their ministry, rather than put them on, took now other resolutions; and the common people came to soberer thoughts of these habits, by reading that learned foreigner's writing hereupon: who though he used XIII. them not himself, yet condemned them not of any impiety; CHAP. which none should ever have persuaded them to believe, before the publishing of this writing. Anno 1566. All this I collect from a letter of Grindal to Bullinger, Vid. Life of wrote in August this year. Grindal, p. 105. used to the The Bishops indeed did endeavour to bring in these Dis- Arguments senters, not only by authority, as ecclesiastical Commis- Dissenters. sioners, but by the milder course of argument and persuasion. In a paper near about this time, as I guess, I find these syllogisms propounded to them. I. No faithful Minister ought once to seem to condemn Foxii MSS. his faithful fellow Ministers, Fathers, and Bishops, which are yet living, or such as are departed this life by martyrdom, in the true confession of Christian faith. But so straitly to refuse such priestly apparel as they did use, seemeth to condemn them. Ergo, No faithful Minister ought so straitly to refuse such priestly apparel. II. In things indifferent the Prince may command, and we ought to obey. But this priestly apparel is a thing indifferent. Ergo, In this priestly apparel the Prince may command, and we ought to obey. But these and such like arguments were usually replied unto again. deavours. In the mean time the Puritans were not wanting to them- Their enselves, by all means labouring for a toleration in the neglect of these human constitutions. And as they got an interest with some great men in the Court at home, so they made their complaints to the reformed Churches abroad: and by 230 writings and books printed, endeavoured to justify their incompliances. And they sent their case to the Churches of Geneva and of Zurich, as was shewed before. of Scotland Part of a Register, p. They sent also their messengers and letters to the Church The Church of Scotland, setting forth how they were deprived; many write to the whereof, as they gave out, of the greatest learning within Bishops. the realms; because their conscience would not suffer them, at the command of authority, to wear such garments as 125. idolaters used in their idolatry: and that they were hindered by the Bishops from promoting the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Whereat that Church, in the month of December III. BOOK this year 1566, sent an earnest letter to the Bishops in their behalf. Wherein, "they, upon a misinformation no Anno 1566.“ doubt, spake of many thousands, both godly and learned, "that refused the habits, (for as yet the Church was not so "well replenished.) They argued, that the surplice, cor"nered cap and tippet, had been badges of idolatry in the "very act of idolatry, and that they were the dregs of the "Romish beast. That the scruplers of these things did “not damn nor molest the Bishops that used such vain "trifles; and therefore the Bishops should not trouble "them. That they should walk more circumspectly than "for such vanities to trouble the godly. That they, the "Bishops, should boldly oppose themselves against the au"thority, that urged the consciences of their brethren fur"ther than God burdened them. That though there ap❝peared no great worldly pomp in them, [the Scotch Min"isters and Pastors,] yet, they supposed, the Bishops "would not despise them, but esteem them to be of the "number of those that fought against the Romish Anti"christ. And so concluded, craving favour for the Dis"senters." This was dated from the General Assembly at Edinburgh. The whole letter may be read in the ApNumb. LI. pendix. But surely this was somewhat rough treating their brethren, the English Bishops. pardoned their first fruits. Ministers But as for those that stood out the three months' susdeprived, pension, and so were deprived, the hardship of paying their first-fruits (which they had compounded for) was mollified: their compounding for which, and their obligations, some of them had complained of to the Archbishop, as we heard before. He, in all probability, as he had acquainted the Secretary with it, so he moved him to obtain favour for them of the Queen in this behalf. And accordingly I meet Pap. Office. with a formal warrant drawn up to discharge them. The Num. LII. draught whereof will be seen in the Appendix. It was directed to the Treasurer and Barons of her Exchequer, letting them understand, that of her grace and mere motion, she had clearly remitted and forgiven unto those persons that were deprived and amoved from their promotions XIII. and dignities spiritual, for not obeying certain ecclesiastical CHAP. rites and ceremonies, by her laws and injunctions appointed, such sums of money as were or should be due from them Anno 1566. by their writings obligatory, for the first-fruits of the same. And therefore commanding them, that upon the sight of these her letters, and proof had of their deprivations by certificate of the Ordinaries under their hands and seals to them directed, or by any other due means, to cancel and make void the said specialities and writings obligatory. Dissenters proves a Friar. In this year came one of these dissenting preachers (in One of these appearance, but in truth a Dominican Friar) to Maidstone, to the Maidenhead Inn there, with divers others his Dominican followers; where as guests they bespake a dinner. Di-Foxes and vers others resorted hither, inquiring for this man, whose Firebr. name was Faithful Cummin. These were his congregation. Being thus met in the room they had taken up, Cummin exercised extemporary prayer for about two hours, groaning and weeping much. The exercise being over, most of the company departed; some few tarried and partook with the exerciser of the dinner provided. Of this meeting, John Clarkson, the Archbishop's Chaplain, being informed, acquainted his Grace, and he the Queen and Council. Before whom at length this man was convented the next year, as a sower of sedition among the Queen's subjects. Here the Archbishop examined him. He acknowledged he was ordained by Cardinal Pole; but said, that he was fallen off from Rome, and that he was a preacher of the Gospel; but that he had no licence to preach from any of the Bi-231 shops since the Reformation. And when the Archbishop asked him, if he had no such licence, how any could be assured that he was not of the Romish Church; he would prove that by his prayers and sermons, wherein he had spoken against Rome and the Pope, as much as any of the Clergy. And he pretended, that it was licence enough to preach, to have the Spirit; which, he said, he had. When the Archbishop again demanded, whether that could be the Spirit, that complied not with the orders of the Church, lately purged and cleansed from idolatry; he replied, he BOOK endeavoured to make the Church purer than it was. This man had a congregation that followed him, which he termed Anno 1566. men of tender consciences: and with them he prayed and preached, and administered the Sacrament. When he preached in public, he would be absent till the divine service were over, (for the English Liturgy he could not away with,) and then he would come into the church and preach. Departs beyond sea. After his former examination, and giving bail for a further appearance, he found opportunity to escape beyond sea telling his congregation, that he was warned of God to travel abroad, to instruct Protestants in other parts of the world, and would come again to them: leaving these as his last words to them: That spiritual prayer was the chief testimony of a true Protestant; and that the set form of prayer was but the Mass translated; and so praying with them, and getting money from them to bear his expenses, in many tears he parted from them. This matter and the issue of it shall be related more at large under the next year. I relate this only as a memorable matter, not to be omitted by an ecclesiastical historian, without making any observation; only noting, how diligent Papists have been, from the first times of our Reformation, to cherish divisions among Protestants: and whether it were the hand of Papists that made this unhappy separation so early in our Church, it is uncertain; to be sure, they presently took hold of these misunderstandings, to continue and blow them up, and to embitter the spirits of well-meaning men against the reformed religion, so well established. |