to us. Wherefore it is plain, that our Saviour would not that we should fear death. "To die," saith St. John Chrysostom, "is to put off our old garments, and death is a pilgrimage of the spirit from the body," (he means for a time), "and a sleep somewhat longer than the old custom." The fear of it, saith he, is nothing else than the fear of bugs, and a childish fear of that thing that cannot harm thee. Remember holy St. Ambrose's saying, which St. Augustine, lying on his death-bed, ever had in his mouth, "I do not fear to die for we have a good and merciful Lord and Master." Lactantius, the great learned man, confirms the saying of Cicero to be true, which said, "that no man can be right wise which feareth death, pain, banishment or poverty: and that he is the honest and virtuous man, which not regardeth what he suffers, but how well he doth suffer." Sedulius, one of disciples, defineth death to be the gate, by the which lieth the strait way unto reign and kingdom. Basilius, who as in name, so both in virtue and learning was great, thus he exhorteth us: "O man!" saith he, "shrink not to withstand your adversaries, to suffer labours; abhor not death, for it destroys not, nor makes not an end of you, but it is the beginning and occasion of life. Nor death is the destruction of all things, but a departing and a translation unto honours." And St. Hierome, the strong and stout champion of Almighty God, saith, declaring this saying of holy Job, "the day of death is better than the day of birth;" "that is," saith he, "because other [either] that by death it is declared what we are, or else because our birth doth bind our liberty of the soul with the body, and death do loose it." that he was the compiler of them, rests on very slight foundations." Jenkyns' Remains of abp. Cranmer, vol. iv. p. 316. On this account, and "because they are mere translations," Dr. Jenkyns neither placed them amongst the archbishop's works, nor printed them at length.] The holy martyr Cyprian saith, "he ought to fear death that would not, nor hath no lust to go to Christ: and that he hath no will to God, the which believeth not that by death he shall begin to reign with Christ, as it is written, The right wise man liveth by faith.' Wherefore, saith he, do not ask that the kingdom of God may come, if this earthly bondage do delight us, &c." With a great deal more: all upon allegations. 63 II. An exhortation to take sickness well, and adversity patiently drawn out of Cyprian. "This misliketh some men, that disease of sickness cometh to the Christian no less than to the heathen. As who should say, that therefore the Christian believeth, because he should be quiet from danger of adversity, and might have the fruition of this world at his own pleasure ; and not because that after he hath suffered adversity here, he shall be reserved for the joy to come," &c. III. An exhortation to take the pain of sickness patiently : translated out of St. Augustin, lib. i. de visitatione infirmorum. "Thou wilt say, I love God: God grant," saith St. Augustin, "that it be so indeed as thou promisest in words. The proof and trial of the love of God is the fulfilling of his commandments, the fulfilling of his works, willingly to love that God loveth, with a fervent desire to embrace that, the which God worketh. Then if thou lovest God, thou lovest that that God doth, and if thou love that that God doth, then thou lovest God's dis b [August. de visit. infir. lib. i. c. iv. tom. ix. p. 429. ed. Paris. 1635. This treatise was not written by Augustine. See James' Corrupt. of Script. &c. p. 65. ed. Lond. 1843; Rivet. Crit. Sacr. cipline. When thou art chastened, thou lovest God's rod. Thou art pained with a cough, the lungs faileth thee: thy stomach abhors his meat: thou pinest away with a consumption: thou tastest not thy drink: thou art vexed within thy body: thou art grieved with many sundry and divers kinds of diseases. But all these, if thou have an eye to perceive, if thou reckon God, all these, I say, are the gifts of God. Son, cast not away the discipline of the father. There is no child which the father doth not correct," &c. NUMBER XXXIII. INTERROGATORIES FOR DR. LONDON. WHETHER he commanded Serles upon Palm-Sunday MSS. C.C.C.C. as had been intit. Syno preached in Kent: [by those of the new learning. daliac. Which Serles would have to be done by the countenance of Cranmer.] Whether Serles brought the Articles upon Palm-Sunday. Whether he required Serles to go with him to the council, to present the said Articles, or else to subscribe them with his hand. And Serles refused so to do, because they were not proved by witness, but only by hearsay. Whether he threatened Serles, because he would not set to his hand; notwithstanding that Serles knew them not, but by hearsay. How Dr. London did find out Serles; and how long he had inquired for him before he could find him. 64 Whether, in the presence of Serles, Dr. London did pen the Articles anew, otherwise than they were presented. Whether Serles said then to Dr. Willoughby, whom Dr. London had persuaded to go with him to the council; beware what you do: shall never be able to prove : for you them of this sort, that Dr. London doth now pen them. Whether, beside the book subscribed by divers prebendaries and others of Canterbury, Dr. London made another great book of many more articles. Where that book is, and of whom he had his instructions. What matters he knew against the archbishop of Canterbury, or others in Kent, before Palm-Sunday last past, when he had Articles of Serles. And of whom he had such knowledge before the said day. Dr. Willoughby's confession and submission, as to his meddling in the archbishop of Canterbury's business, under his own hand. He declared that he first met Serles at Dr. London's house at London, on Palm-Sunday, coming to London to speak with the chamberlain of London. And then they opened the business first to him. That he was not able to say any thing against any one person mentioned in these Articles, more than by hearsay. That he and Gardiner had been gathering of matter a quarter of a year before. That he knew nothing that they minded any thing towards his grace, till he saw it in writing; by whom and whose device God, the devil and they know; he knew nothing for his part. And that it was the most deceitful and disobedient country in the world. As concerning their preferment of their Articles at the sessions, he knew nothing of that neither. Nor was in Kent at that time, nor knew of no sessions, as God should be his help. Nor that he spake with any justices of peace in this matter; or that he was privy that any of them did. That he told Mr. Moyle and Mr. Thwaite [two eminent justices] what Mr. London said to him, that the justices all would be shent, because they suffered such preachings and contentions without doing any thing therein. That he only consented to bear the name of putting up of these matters [that is, of preferring the Articles to the sessions]. He acknowledged, that he said, he heard that it was in the country in many places : lying upon himself like a fool; and yet that he never came before the council, nor never minded. But to avoid the suspicion, he made much babbling, bringing himself into much slander. And for this doing he submitted himself to God and my lord's grace. That, by his father, [a sort of oath], he had no dealing with Pettit, nor any other lawyer, or did know what they did as to indictment, or any other thing thereunto belonging: nor ever reasoned with Pettit about any such matter. What effect or head they intended to bring this matter unto, God knoweth: most likely to subdue his grace's power. That they had good hope to have had other commissioners than his lordship. So London promised them at the beginning, or else they would not have meddled so much as they did and especially against his grace. That as concerning their autho- 65 rity, he suspected they took it of London's presumption, seeing him go forward against such men of worship [meaning the late indictments of so many eminent persons at Windsor] and of the rigour in handling and fetching up of persons. |