The Archbishop makes inquiry into the Clergy of his province. Appoints public prayers against the Turk. Robinson consecrated Bishop of Bangor. His sermon. The Archbishop receives information where Cranmer's and Ridley's Disputations at Oxford were. Desires of Grafton a sight of certain ancient authors used in his Chronicle. This historian's condition. The Archbishop informed of the misbehaviour of one Day, Curate of Maidstone. The Earl of Oxford holds in Knight's service of the Archbishop.

bishop in

the state of his pro

BUT now to return to our Archbishop again, and to make Anno 1566. some further discovery of his extraordinary diligence and The Archcare in his office. To know the true state of his province, quires into and what kind of Clergy for learning and abilities, and what numbers to supply the cures, and what parishes void there vince. now were, and especially how the cathedrals were supplied, that he might the better take order in the Church, and see what proficiency it had made in seven or eight years; he sent a letter to the Bishop of London, (and the like I suppose he did to the rest of the Bishops,) to certify him on this side Michaelmas of these things, viz. of the names, surnames, degrees, and reputed age of all Deans, Archdeacons, Dignitaries, and Prebendaries, within his cathedral church, Archbishop and of all others any ways beneficed, or having any spiritual gist. promotion within his diocese. And how many of them be resident; and where and in what place and calling the absents do live; and how many of all such be Ministers or Deacons ; and how many no Priests nor Deacons; and how many be learned and able to preach; and how many be licensed, and by whom they be so; and how many of them do keep hospitality upon their benefices; with a note of all vacant benefices, and the names of such as do receive the fruits thereof. The Archbishop undoubtedly had great ends in this inquiry; as to know in what better state the Church now was, as to the number and improvements of the Clergy, and also to

Park. Re

BOOK stop the mouths of Papists or other enemies of the Church, III. who failed not to make representations bad enough of them: Anno 1566. and where there were defects, by knowledge thereof to be the better able to redress them.

form of

prayers

Turk.

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Sets forth a The Turks were now very unquiet in the parts next their dominions, and poor Hungary was in danger of being against the overrun by them. Our most reverend Father now, to shew himself a truly Catholic Bishop, that had a tender concern for the welfare of all Christians, wheresoever dispersed, ordered a form of prayer to be used every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday, throughout the whole realm, to excite and stir up all godly people to pray unto God for the preservation of those Christians and their countries, that were then invaded by the Turks in Hungary or elsewhere. This form was printed, and set forth by the most reverend Father in God Matthew, Archbishop of Canterbury. The Preface to which shewed, "That whereas the Turks the last year most "fiercely assaulting the isle of Malta with a great army "and navy, by the grace and assistance of Almighty God were from thence expelled and driven with their great "loss, shame, and confusion; they, being inflamed with "malice and desire of revenge, did now by land invade the "kingdom of Hungary, (which had been of long time a most strong wall and defence to all Christendom,) far more ter233"ribly and dreadfully, and with greater force and violence, "than they did either the last year, or at any time within "the remembrance of man. That it was therefore our parts, " which for distance of place cannot succour them with temporal aid of men, to assist them at least with spiritual "aid: that is to say, with earnest hearts and fervent pray"ers; and that the Emperor, as God's principal minister, "might repress the rage and violence of these infidels; who "by all tyranny and cruelty labour heartily to root out not "only true religion, but also the name and members of "Christ, and all Christianity. And for so much as, if the “infidels, who have already a great part of that most goodly "and strong kingdom in their possession, should prevail "wholly against the same, all the rest of Christendom should

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XIV.

"lie as it were naked and open to their incursions and inva- CHAP. ❝sions, to the most dreadful danger of whole Christendom.” There was one prayer to be used for the morning and an- Anno 1566. other for the evening. That for the evening was to this

tenor:

"O God of hosts, most righteous Judge, and most The prayer. " merciful Father. The dreadful dangers and distresses "wherein other Christian men our brethren and neigh"bours do now stand, by reason of the terrible invasion of "most cruel and deadly enemies the Turks, infidels and "miscreants, do set before our eyes a terrible example of our own worthy deserts by our continual sinning and "offending against thy great Majesty and most severe justice, and do also put us in remembrance here in this our "realm of England, of our most deserved thanks for our great tranquillity, peace, and quietness, which we by thy

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high benefit, and preservation of our peaceable. Prince "whom thou hast given us, do enjoy, while others, in the "like or less offences than ours are against thy Majesty, are "by thy righteous judgments so terribly scourged. This "thy fatherly mercies do set forth thy unspeakable patience, "which thou usest towards us thy ingrate children, as well "in the same thy gracious benefits of such our peace and 66 tranquillity, as in thy wholesome warnings of us, by thy "just punishments of others less offenders than we be.

"For the which thy great benefits bestowed upon us "without our deserving, as we praise thy fatherly goodness "towards us, so being stricken in our minds with great dread "of thy just vengeance, for that we do so little regard the great riches of thy fatherly goodness and patience towards

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us, we most humbly beseech thee to grant us thy heavenly grace, that we continue no longer in the taking thy mani"fold graces and goodness in vain. And upon deep com

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passion of the dreadful distresses of our brethren and "neighbours, the Christians, by the cruel and most terrible "invasion of these most deadly enemies the Turks, we do "make and offer up our most humble and hearty prayers "before the throne of thy grace, for the mitigation of thy

III.

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BOOK "wrath, and purchase of thy pity and fatherly favour to"wards them; and not only towards them, but to us also Anno 1566. " by them. For so much as our danger or safety doth fol"low upon success of them. Grant them and us thy grace, “O most merciful Father, that we may rightly understand "and unfeignedly confess our sins against thy Majesty to "be the very causes of this thy scourge and our misery. "Grant us true and hearty repentance of all our sins against "thee; that the causes of thy just offence being removed, "the effects of these our deserved miseries may withal be "taken away. Give to thy poor Christians, O. Lord God "of hosts, strength from heaven, that they neither respect"ing their own weakness and paucity, nor fearing the mul ❝titude and fierceness of their enemies or their dreadful "cruelty, but setting their eyes and only hope and trust "upon thee, and calling upon thy name who art the Giver "of all victory, may by thy power obtain victory against "the infinite multitudes and fierceness of thine enemies. "That all men, understanding the same to be the act of "thy grace, and not the deed of man's might and power, "may give unto thee all the praise and glory: and especially 234" thy poor Christians by thy strong hand being delivered "out of the hand of their enemies, we, for their and our

Robinson

consecrated

Bangor.

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safety with them, may yield and render unto thee all lauds, "praises, and thanks, through thy Son our Saviour Jesus "Christ. To whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, one "eternal God of most sacred Majesty, be all praise, honour, "and glory, world without end, Amen.”

Now at length was consecrated Nic. Robynson, D. D. Bishop of Bishop of Bangor, a Welshman, of the University of Cambridge, spoken of under the last year, succeeding in the room of Merick deceased. This Robinson was the Archbishop's Chaplain, eloquent in the English and Latin tongues, well furnished with human learning and divinity, and in Queen Mary's reign had suffered much from the Papists in the foresaid University, where he seemed then to reside. Among the Archbishop's papers there is a sermon, known to be this man's, by what the Archbishop by his own hand

XIV.

noted upon it, viz. Concio N. Robinson: it was preached CHAP. near this time before some great audience either at Court or St. Paul's Cross, by the Archbishop's order. By which may Anno 1566. be perceived his great ability in preaching, and what sort of preaching there was even in those first times of Queen Elizabeth; and what sins prevailed. I will give some few lines of it therefore in this place.

of a sermon

"It is a pitiful case to see abroad in country and town A specimen "(and we may see it daily, if we shut not our eyes) godly of his. "preaching heard without remorse or repentance; lawful MSS. C. C. prayers frequented without any devotion, fastings kept "without affliction, holy days kept without any godliness,

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almsgiving without compassion, Lent openly holden with"out any discipline. And what fruit of life may be looked "for, upon so simple a seed sowing ?-He will not come to "church, but that the law compelleth him he will never "be partaker of the most reverend mysteries, if he might "otherwise avoid shame: he heareth the chapters, to jeer "at them afterwards: he cometh to the sermon for fashion"sake only. He makes himself Minister to get a piece of a "living. He sings stoutly for the stipend only.Chrysos"tom eloquently lamenting the corrupt manners of his days, "universally throughout all estates, high and low, rich and

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poor, man and wife, master and servant, judgeth all at "length to spring of this root, that things in the Church "were done as xaтà σuleíwv, as it were for fashion sake

only, as church prayer, God's word, sacraments, service, "&c. And alas! among us for fashion sake, men of wor"ship have chaplains, peradventure to say service. For "fashion sake simple men are presented to cures, and have "the name of parsons. For fashion sake some hear the “Scripture, to laugh at the folly thereof. For fashion sake "merchantmen have Bibles, which they never peruse. For "fashion sake some women buy Scripture books, that they "may be thought to be well disposed: yea, for fashion sake "many good laws are lightly put in execution, and so forth. "And many carry death on their fingers, [a ring with a "death's head,] when he is never nigh their hearts. He Hh

VOL. I.

C. C.