ance

and that the act of the Six Articles should be in

the same force it was before h.

A BISHOP CONSECRATED.

100

June the 25th, being Sunday, Paul Bushe, provincial of Paul Bushe. the Bonhommes, was consecrated the first bishop of Bristol, by Nicolas bishop of Rochesteri, assisted by Thomas bishop of Westminsterk, and John suffragan of Bedford'. This consecration was celebrated in the parish church of Hampton in the diocese of Westminster.

h [34°. Hen. VIII. c. I. See Stat. of the Realm, vol. iii. pp. 894897. and Burnet's Hist. Ref. vol.

i. pp. 642–646. ed. Oxon. 1829.]

i [See Le Neve's Fasti, p. 48.]
k [Nicholas Heath.]

[Thomas Thirlby.]

Ann. 1543.

CHAPTER XXV.

PRESENTMENTS AT A VISITATION.

By the act above mentioned, the generality of the peoThe king's ple were restrained from reading the holy Scriptures. book pub. But in lieu of it was set forth by the king and his clergy, lished by authority. in the year 1543, a doctrine for all his subjects to use and

follow; which was the book abovesaid: and all books that were contrary to it were by authority of parliament condemned. It was printed in London by Thomas Barthelet. This book the archbishop enjoined to be made public in his diocese, (as I suppose it was in all other dioceses throughout the kingdom), and allowed no preaching or arguing against it. And when one Mr. Joseph, once a friar in Canterbury, now a learned and earnest preacher, (and who was afterward preferred to Bow-Church in London), had attempted to preach against some things in the book, the archbishop checked and forbad him: for indeed there were some points therein which the archbishop himself did not approve of, foisted into it by Winchester's means and interest at that time with the king. Which bishop, politicly as well as flatteringly, called it "The king's book," a title which the archbishop did not much like; for he knew well enough Winchester's hand was in it and so he told him plainly in king Edward's time, when he might speak his mind; telling him in relation thereunto, that he had seduced the king. But because of the authority of the parliament ratifying the book, and the many good and useful things that were in it, the archbishop introduced and countenanced it in his diocese, and would not allow open preaching against it.

m

at Canter

The archbishop, about the month of September, held a A visitation visitation in Canterbury: chiefly because of the jangling bury. of the preachers, and the divers doctrines vented among them, according as their fancies, interests, or judgments led them. The visitation proceeded upon the king's injunctions, and other late ordinances. And here I shall set down before the reader some of the presentments, as I take them from an original in a volume that belonged to this archbishop. Wherein notice may be taken, what ig- Intit. Acnorance was then in some of the priests; what bandying Cranmer against one another, and what good progress the Gospel inter MS. did begin to make, and what good numbers of priests and laymen there were that savoured of the Gospel-doctrine.

cusatio

C.C.C.C.O

ments.

Sir Humphrey Chirden, parson of St. Elphin's, on a PresentSunday in Lent, said, "If Judas had gone to God and 101 confessed his fault, saying Peccavi, as he went unto the priests, he had not been damned." This passage was plain enough levelled against confessing to a priest. But this was presentable, because against the Six Articles.

One Lancaster, the parson of Pluckley, was presented, because that when one Giles said, that he blessed himself daily and nightly, saying, "In nomine Patris, et Filii et Spiritus Sancti ;" and then said, in the honour of God and our lady, and all the company of heaven, and for all Christian souls that God would have prayed for, a Pater-noster, an Ave, and a Creed; the said parson said to him, that if he knew it of truth that the said Giles used the same form of prayer, he would not accompany him, nor once drink with him.

Vincent Ingeam, (a justice of peace I suppose), commanded on Easter Monday, 33° of the king", that no man should read, or hear the Bible read, upon pain of imprisonment and cast two into prison, the one for speak

ing against him therein, and the other for shewing him the king's injunctions concerning the same. He repugned against the doings of the commissary for taking down the image of St. John, by the king's commandment. Where I find, among other witnesses to this, one Daniel Cranmer, a relation doubtless of the archbishop.

Sir Thomas, curate of Sholden, and Thomas Sawier, set up again four images, which by the king's commandment were taken down, for abuses by pilgrimages and offerings viz. St. Nicolas, St. Stephen, St. Laurence, and our lady.

Another accused for forsaking his own parish church at the time of Easter, two years together, [not liking his parish priest for his affection to the gospel,] and for going to Walsingham, [in pilgrimage] and that he would at no time shew to the vicar a lawful certificate that he had received the blessed sacrament at the time commonly accustomed, as a Christian man ought to do. And obstinately refused to learn his Pater-noster, Ave, Credo, and Ten Commandments in English, according to the king's injunctions.

Sir Edward Sponer, vicar of Boughton, had not declared to his parishioners the right use of ceremonies, neither shewed the difference between them and works commanded by God, as he is commanded by the king's proclamation. He had not preached against the bishop of Rome his usurped power, and set forth the king's supremacy, as he is bound by the king's injunctions, and other his proceedings. He hath not preached his quarter's sermons, neither at Boughton nor at his benefice in the Mersh. He never declared, that the even of such saints, whose days be abrogated, be no fasting-days.

The archdeacon of Canterbury, (that was Edmund, the archbishop's brother), the morrow after the Ascension was three years, took out of the church of St. Andrew's in

Canterbury three lamp tapers brenning before the sacrament, and a coat from a rood, and did violently break the arms and legs of the rood.

Sir William Kemp, vicar of Northgate, had not read the Bible since Pentecost, as he was commanded by the ordinary. He doth not declare to his parishioners the right use of holy water, holy bread, bearing of candles 102 upon Candlemas day, giving of ashes, bearing of palms, creeping to the cross: for lack whereof the most part of the said parish be as ignorant in such things as ever they And many of them do abuse holy water, insomuch that against tempests of thunder and lightning many run to the church for holy water to cast about their houses, to drive away evil spirits and devils, notwithstanding the king's proclamations in the same. He hath not read to them the king's injunctions, as he ought to do, by reason whereof his parish be blind and ignorant in them.

were.

Bartholomew Joy confessed to his curate in general, saying, I am a sinner. And when the vicar asked him wherein he had sinned, he answered, that he had confessed himself to the Lord already, and that he would make none other confession at that time; and so departed.

John Tofts, Christopher Levenysh, Bartholomew Joy, in the thirtieth of the king, pulled down all the pictures in the church of Northgate in Canterbury, except only the rood, Mary and John, the twelve Apostles, the picture of our lady, and St. John Baptist. And in the thirty-fourth of the king, Tofts pulled down the picture of our lady, and had her and the tabernacle home to his house, and there did hew her all to pieces. And at another time, the same Tofts openly, with a loud voice, read the Bible in English in the church to his wife, Sterkie's wife, George Toft's wife, to the midwife of the same parish, and to as many others as then were present.