History of the reformation

Front matter

Class..

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HISTORY

Chapter I

State of England — Wolsey — First beginnings of reformation — Henry's book — Tindal's translation — Henry wishes a divorce — His applications to Rome — Cranmer — Wolsey ruined — The clergy attacked — Application to the Universities — Successive attacks upon. Rome — Henry marries Ann Boleyn — Cranmer consecrated—Catharine divorced — Popery condemned,

Chapter II

The King's supremacy asserted — First fruits given to the King — Suffragan Bishops — Tindal's translation circulated — Persecutions — Henry against reformation — Visitation of monasteries— Their corruptions — Suppression of monasteries — Translation of the Bible authorized — Queen Ann executed — The Pope seeks a reconciliation— First articles of religion— Injunctions — Rebellion — Relics and shrines abolished, 29

Chapter III

The Bible published — Injunctions to the clergy — Craiimer loses ground — Popery gains an advantage — The six articles — Henry's attachment to Cranmer — Persecution — Private persons allowed Bibles— New articles — Free will — Second edition of the Bible — State of Scotland — Injunctions laid by Bonner — Preaching of the friars — Written sermons, - - - 45

Chapter IV

Cranmer's industry and sound judgment — His success — Persons who might read the Bible — Persecution—*

X CONTENTS.

Attempt on Cranmer — His forgiving temper — Extracts from the canon law of Rome— Translation of part of the service — Reforming bishops appointed — Persecution — Design upon Cranmer — Frustrated by Henry — Henry's death, - - - - - 60

Chapter V

King Edward — Germany — Reformation urged on — Want of Clergymen — Homilies prepared — Ignorance of the people — Articles and injunctions — Mary opposes the reformation — Laws against heretics repealed — Mode of choosing bishops — Commission appointed to revise the liturgy — Germany — -Popish rites abolished — Images destroyed, - - - 68

Chapter VI

Progress of the liturgy — Romish indulgences — Cranmer's catechism — Primitive liturgies — Rornish abuse of a liturgy — Romish rites abolished — Practices in the Primitive church — Germany — Calvin's letter to the Protector — The liturgy established — Gloria in excelsis — Fasting, - - - - * - - 82.

Chapter VII

Great attachment to the Reformation expressed — Complaints against the Priests — Real presence discussed — Anabaptists — Joan of Kent — Infant baptism — Predestination — Rebellion, 93

Chapter VIII

Ridley's honesty — Bonner — Protector sent to the Tower — Form of ordination — Ridley consecrated bishop of London — Latimer's faithfulness — Hooper's objection to the episcopal vestments — Bucer's opinion about them — The liturgy reviewed — Bucer's advice — His advice to the king about rural bishops, &c. — -Ridley's visitation — Germany — The Interim — Popish clergy dissemble — Cranmer's tenderness — Death of Bucer — Degradation of Gardiner, - 105

CONTENTS. XI

Chapter IX

Articles of religion — Prayer Book — Reasons for using the confession and absolution — The ten commandments — For kneeling at the sacrament — The lady Mary still a papist — Duke of Somerset beheaded — Germany — Council of Trent, - - - 118

Chapter X

Ecclesiastical laws — The Trinity, &c. — Heresies — Punishment of heretics and others— Against Simony — Examination of candidates for orders — Purgation — The poor — Church officers — Duty of bishops — Annual convocations — Excommunication — Receiving of penitents — Reformation of the clergy — Council of Trent — Dioceses divided — Mode of appointing bishops — Letters patent to teach the catechism— Sickness of Edward — His charities — His death — His character,

126 CHAPTER XI.

Lady Jane Gray proclaimed — Mary made Queen — Her character — Gardiner's policy — Edward's funeral- Disturbance at St. Paul's — Mary's answer to the met! of Suffolk — Bradford and Rogers imprisoned— Popish bishops restored — The reformers turned out of their pulpits, and papists put in their places — Hooper and others imprisoned — Images, Latin service and old rites, once more — Cranmer's conduct — He refuses to fly — He and Latimer sent to the Tower — The queen treats with the pope— Joy at Rome — Pool sent as legate but stopped — Lady Jane Gray executed — Elizabeth imprisoned — Popery re-established throughout England — Dispute at Oxford — Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley, condemned, - - - - - 146

Chapter XII

Conduct of the Reformers in prison — Mary married to Philip — Cardinal Pool arrives— Parliament petitions to be reconciled to Rome — Their petition graciously received — All acts against Rome repealed — Laws against heretics revived — Discussions about heretics

XII CONTENTS.

— Pool proposes a reformation of the clergy— Gatdiner advocates persecution— Persecution rages — Martyrdom of Rogers, Hooper, and others — Dr. Taylor— The nation filled with horror — Gardiner leaves the persecution to Bonner — Queen Mary's conscience — The Pope's modesty, - - 166

Chapter XIII

Persecution still rages — The dead body of a robber cited, condemned and burnt — The nobility and gentry directed to attend the burnings— Gardiner's subtlety — Martyrdom of Latimer and Ridley — Death of Gardiner — Parliament disgusted, but Mary perseveres — Reformation of the clergy proposed — Influence of the lives of clergymen — Germany — Abdication of Charles 5th — Cranmer tried and degraded — His recantation — His martyrdom — His character, - - 179

Chapter XIV

The lame and the blind burnt — Conduct of the Reformers — Their meetings — Their faithful shepherds — The refugees at Frankfort — Origin of differences — The bodies of Bucer and Fagius burnt — Inquisition projected — Burnings continued — Pool opposes them in vain — Martial law proclaimed against heretics — None might say, God help the martyrs — Bonner's cruelty — Protestants in France — Mary's death — Pool's death, ♦ 200

Chapter XV

Accession of Elizabeth — Reformation resolved upon and begun — Parker chosen archbishop of Canterbury — Mis great modesty — Coronation — Reformation established by parliament — Papists allowed the exercise of their religion — Popish clergy who chose to retire, pensioned — Parker's letters — His consecration — Fable of the nag's head ordination — Reformation completely settled, ----- 210

Sketch of the Life of Luther - 227

Sketch of the Life of Calvin - 255

Sketch of the Life of Zuingle * 283

HISTORY

Chapter I

State of England — Wolsey — First beginnings of reformation — Henry's book — Tindal's translation — Henry wishes a divorce — His applications to Rome — Cran- ^ mer — Wolsey ruined — The clergy attacked — Application to the Universities — Successive attacks upon Rome — Henry marries Ann Boleyn — Cranmer consecrated — Catharine divorced — Popery condemned.

At the commencement of the reign of king Henry the 8th, England was reposing in the arms of papal Rome, implicitly yielding to her spiritual despotism. There had been some contests by preceding kings against the exactions of the papacy, but these had always ended in submission, and the Vatican reigned lord paramount over the souls and bodies of Englishmen. The shrines of saints were visited by adoring multitudes; the doctrine of purgatory was an inexhaustible fountain of supply to the coffers of the priesthood; bishops were established in their sees by bulls from his holiness; appeals to Rome held all spiritual decisions in durance; images, and relics, and miracles abounded; the Bible was considered the source of heresy; and ignorance slept at the foot of superstition, while vice, in every variety, roamed unchecked through the land.

True, there were some who possessed copies of Wickliffe's Bible, and received its doctrine rather than the decrees of cardinals. But they were poor. They were not in authority. They were persecuted by the dominant power; and, from their inability to act with efficiency, were hardly known to exist. True, also, when any see became vacant, the king seized on its temporalities, and did not deliver them to the bishop appointed of Rome, until he had sworn allegiance; but Henry, as if to destroy this remnant of supremacy, surrendered it into the hands of his favourite Wolsey, who was the pope's legate.

Henry, however, appears to have been raised up by Providence to crush the power of papacy in England, and prepare the way for reformation.

In the fourth year of his reign, a law was passed subjecting the clergy to be tried by the civil courts. Heretofore, they had been amenable to none but ecclesiastical authority, and, such was the universal corruption, that, whatever crimes they committed, they usually escaped unpunished. This law was violently opposed by the whole clerical body, and nothing but the determined spirit of Henry, zealous for prerogative, carried it through. The pope was in trouble, and did not dare to resent the insult.

Yet, in all other matters, Henry continued a most faithful son of the see of Rome, during the first eighteen years of his reign; insomuch that pope Julius sent him a golden rose, and pope Leo 10th gave him more roses, and made his favourite Wolsey a cardinal.

Wolsey, though a bad man himself, obtained a bull from the pope to reform the clergy. His real object was, to pave the way for suppressing several of the monasteries, and converting them into colleges, cathedrals, &c.

The convocation of England was usually summoned by the king; who, with the writs

H for a parliament, sent also a summons to the two archbishops of Canterbury and York, to call together the clergy of their respective provinces. But the cardinal, as legate, took this power into his own hands. In 1552, he summoned the convocation of Canterbury to Westminster, to reform abuses in the church. Here he demanded a heavy supply for the king, viz. one half of the full value of all livings for one year, to be paid in five years. This, with great difficulty, was obtained; but it enraged the clergy against the cardinal. He, however, despised them, especially the monks, whom he looked upon as idle mouths, of no use to church or state. They were indeed numerous, and generally given up to idleness and pleasure. He resolved on suppressing a great number of their institutions, and in this found no difficulty; for the king, being a friend to learning, had no objections to his endowing colleges with the spoils of monasteries. The pope, too, consented; and, in the 18th year of Henry, the foundation of a college was laid at Oxford, and in the 20th, that of another at Ipswich.

The first dawnings of reformation in England, may, doubtless, be traced to the days of

Wickliffe, 150 years antecedent to this time; for then, the clergy being obnoxious to the people, on account of the rapacity of their exactions, he propagated several opinions hostile to their power. He translated the Bible from Latin into English, and circulated it, with a preface reflecting severely on the existing corruptions, condemning the worship of saints and images, denying the corporal presence of Christ in the sacrament, and exhorting all people to the study of the scriptures. He died in peace, though his body was afterwards burned; but the followers of his doctrine, who were generally among the illiterate, were severely persecuted. In the reign of Richard 2d, a law was passed subjecting them to trial; and, by a statute of Henry 4th, they were condemned to be burnt as heretics. Under this law many suffered. These martyrs were also called Lollards.* In the first year of Henry, a considerable number were arraigned, and some were burned. The principal charges against them were, refusing to believe in transubstantiation, auricular confession, pilgrimages, worship of images, praying to saints, and purgatory.

' * See Appendix, No. 1.

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The seeds sown by Wickliffe, and now flourishing in the Lollards, caused the doctrines of Luther, which were spreading in Germany, to gain friends in England, Many of the books containing them were translated into English, and widely circulated. This made the rage of persecution more violent. Great numbers were proceeded against. If a man uttered but a light word against the constitutions of the church, he was seized. If any taught their children the Lord's prayer, the ten commandments, and the apostles' creed, in the vulgar tongue, that was deemed a sufficient crime to bring them to the stake, For this offence, six men and one woman were burnt at Coventry, on the 4th of April, 1519.

Henry employed his pen, as well as his power, against the heretics. He wrote a book against Luther, on the seven sacraments, which was extolled as a model of excellence. For this work, he received a pompous letter, signed by the pope and twenty-seven cardinals, and the title of " Defender of the faith." But Luther treated his book with great contempt.

William Tindal translated the New Testament into English, printed it at Antwerp, with some short comments, and sent it over for distribution, in 1526. This was denounced by the papists as an erroneous translation, and all persons who had copies of it were commanded to deliver them up, on pain of excommunication, and incurring the suspicion of heresy. Many other books were prohibited at the same time; most of them written by Tindal. Against some of these Sir Thomas More wrote. He was a man of learning, and an enemy to the ignorance of the clergy, but a bitter persecutor.

About this time, king Henry disputed the validity of his marriage with Catharine his queen. She had been wife to Arthur his brother, but though, in consequence of that, he had procured a dispensation from the pope on marrying her, he now found out that it was unlawful for a man to have his brother's widow. He laid the question before the bishops of England, and they decided in favour of a divorce; and, though the pope, by a bull, had sanctioned the marriage, he hoped to succeed in convincing him that the bull was granted on wrong representations, and in inducing him to revoke it.

With this view, he sent a messenger to Rome, to make his application ; directing him to secure all the friends he could around his holiness, by money and promises. The messenger found the pope imprisoned by the emperor. He presented the king's request, and received for answer, that the divorce should be granted. But, as soon as the pope was at liberty, he declined fulfilling his promise. The emperor, who was the nephew of Catharine, and violently opposed to the divorce, had him still in durance. His holiness, however, strove, by all the crooked arts of a most wily policy, to satisfy Henry that he was his friend, and that he only wished a little necessary delay. Messenger after messenger was sent by the king; bribe after bribe was given to the cardinals; subterfuge after subterfuge was resorted to by the pope; until, at length, two legates were appointed to try the question in England: viz. Campegio, who was despatched from Rome, and Wolsey. During the whole progress of the application, Wolsey was using all the earnestness fear could suggest; for he had pledged himself to effect the divorce, and he well knew, from the temper of Henry, that, if he failed, he would be ruined.

In 1529, the legates sat in England. Instructed by his holiness, Campegio delayed the proceedings as much as possible, and when, at last, all things were ready for a sentence, he adjourned the court from July to October. Soon after, a messenger came summoning the cause to Rome. Henry could ill brook all this, but still he did not entirely break off from the pope. However, he denied his authority to cite him out of his kingdom.

To divert his mind, he made an excursion through his dominions. During it, he lay one night at Waltham. While there, his secretary and almoner, Gardiner and Fox, met with Dr. Cranmer, a fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge. Knowing his great learning and solid judgment, they pressed him for his opinion concerning the divorce. He modestly declined; but told them, it would be best to ascertain whether the marriage was unlawful by virtue of any divine precept, for, if so, the pope's authority could not make that lawful which God had declared unlawful. He thought, therefore, that, instead of a fruitless application at Rome, it would be better to consult all the learned men and universities of Christendom: for, if they pronounced in the king's favour, the pope must needs give judgment; or, if he refused, the marriage would be found sinful, notwithstanding his dispensation. With this proposition, Henry was delighted, and immediately sent for Cranmer, and received him to court.

Wolsey was ruined. He was attainted for treason, and shortly after died; declaring that, if he had served his God as he had served his king, he would not have been deserted in his grey hairs.

In the parliament that met in 1529, there were bills passed against several abuses of the clergy, and many severe reflections were made upon their vices and corruptions. These were believed to flow from men who had Luther's doctrine at heart. The king promoted this attack, that he might show the pope what he could do if driven to extremity.

Pursuant to the advice of Cranmer, application was made to the various learned bodies, for their opinions concerning the divorce. Oxford and Cambridge decided that the marriage was unlawful, as did also the universities of Padua, Bavaria, Orleans and Thoulouse; the divines of Ferrara; many of the Jewish Rabbins; the doctors of the Sorbonne; and a multitude of others, in Italy, and other parts of Europe. Zuingle united in the same decision. Calvin afterwards pronounced a similar sentiment.

These opinions being received, a letter was written to the pope, by the principal of the nobility, clergy, and commons of England, setting them forth; complaining of his conduct; and threatening that they must seek a remedy elsewhere, if he persisted in refusing a divorce. The pope answered, that, if the patient would hurt himself, it was not the physician's fault; and made new promises.

But the king, wearied with delay, published a proclamation against receiving bulls from Rome. He caused, also, the various arguments ^gainst his marriage to be drawn out, and published. He, moreover, brought all the clergy of England under a premunire.

There was an ancient law forbidding any one to exercise a legatine authority procured from Rome. Wolsey had acted as the pope's legate, and, of course, all who had transacted business in his courts were involved in his guilt. Moreover, there were various other laws passed in previous reigns against procuring translations, bulls, &c. from Rome; all which had remained in the statute book, but, from the power of the papacy, were regarded

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as a dead letter. Against all these had the clergy transgressed: but they had done so with the king's knowledge, and oft by his command. However, it was in vain for them to frame excuses. Henry had determined to make the court of Rome feel the weight of his anger, and, therefore, he summoned them all to answer for their crime. They gladly compounded with him, and were pardoned, on paying a heavy sum of money; viz. the see of Canterbury one hundred thousand pounds, and of York, eighteen thousand eight hundred and forty pounds.

In 1531, the convocation gave the king the title of " Supreme head of the church in England;" and thus another blow was aimed at tne pope.

In 153B, parliament passed a law against paying annates, or first fruits of ecclesiastical benefices, to the church of Rome. This law was left subject to the king's confirmation, which it received the next year.

The pope, seeing his power declining in j England, resolved, at last, to do all he could to recover it. He cited the king to appear at Rome, to answer to an appeal from queen Catharine on the subject of the divorce. Henry sent an ambassador as excusator, with instructions to excuse his not appearing, and to insist on the prerogatives of the crown of England. A plea was drawn up, and debated in the consistory.

While this was in progress, a bull was obtained for suppressing several monasteries, and founding six new bishoprics.

November 14th, 1532, the king married Ann Boleyn.

In 1533, parliament passed an act against all appeals to Rome, declaring that the upper house of convocation should give final decision in all cases.

Warham, archbishop of Canterbury, dying, the king resolved to raise Cranmer to that see. Cranmer was then in Germany. He had made no application for the appointment, and, when he received intelligence of it, was much grieved. He travelled homeward by very slow journeys, that the king might have time to reflect maturely on the subject, and to select some other person. Henry, however, would accept none of his excuses; but was rather confirmed in the high opinion he entertained of him, by his great humility; and, at last, Cranmer was forced to yield.

Bulls were received from the pope for Crannier's promotion ; for, though it was contrary to law to ask for them, the king resolved not to break off entirely from Rome, until he was driven to it. The pope was not pleased with Cranmer as archbishop, for he knew him to be the familiar friend of the Lutherans, but he did not wish to precipitate the rupture with England by denouncing him. At his consecration, Cranmer refused to take the usual oath to the pope, without a full and formal protestation, that it should not bind him up from doing his duty to God, the king, and the church.

The question concerning the king's marriage was brought, once more, before the two houses of convocation, and the opinions of nineteen universities read against it; whereupon, a decision was given, declaring it contrary to the law of God; and, immediately after, the archbishop of Canterbury proceeded to pronounce sentence of divorce.

Rome declared this sentence null, and threatened the king with excommunication if he acted upon it. The king appealed from the pope, to a general council; as did Cranmer, who, also, was threatened with a process. Bonner delivered this appeal to the pope, and he did it with so much vehemence and fury, that his holiness talked of throwing him into a caldron "of melted lead, and he was glad to make his escape.

However, in consequence of the mediation of the king of France, Henry determined, once more, to submit to the pope, on receiving fresh promises that the divorce should be granted; but the imperialists precipitated a fresh decree against him, which separated him from Rome forever.

The pope^s authority had been now, for four years, much examined and disputed in England. First, his power of dispensing with the law of God was controverted; then, the clergy were convicted of a praemunire, for submitting to his jurisdiction; then, his right to annates and other exactions was questioned; then, all appeals to Rome were condemned: — So many branches of the tree being cut off, it only remained to strike at the root. Accordingly, the foundations of papal authority were scrutinized. For nearly a year, there were many public debates about it; and the subject was long agitated both in parliament and convocation. Several books were written; particularly "The institution for the necessary erudition of a Christian man;" concluded iii convocation, and published by authority.

At length, after summoning all the proofs from scripture and primitive practice, it was decided, that the pope's power in England had no foundation, either in the law of God, the laws of the church, or of the land.

And thus did the Most High overrule the evil passions of a wicked monarch, to a discovery of the rottenness of the root of that bohon upas papacy, and prepare the way for delivering the realm of England from its deadly influence.

Chapter. II

The King's supremacy asserted — First fruits given to the King— Suffragan Bishops— Tindal's translation circulated — Persecutions — Henry against reformation — Visitation of monasteries — Their corruptions — Suppression of monasteries — Translation of the Bible authorized — Queen Ann executed — The Pope seeks a reconciliation — First articles of religion — Injunctions — Rebellion — Relics and shrines abolished.

The whirlwind of Henry's passions threatened destruction to truth as well as error, and, had not Cranmer been appointed of God to direct it, the very hopes of reformation themselves might have been swept away. A great work remained to be accomplished. The ecclesiastical elements were in wilcP disorder; and much prudence, and much perseverance, and much prayer, were necessary, to subdue them to harmony. Beside, the reformers had much to learn. They were young in the school of primitive discipline; and they were obliged, by close study of the scriptures and of aposb2 tolic practice, to ascertain what were the true features of the church of Christ, before they could attempt to give them to the countenance of England. Accustomed, all their days, to the gorgeous array of Roman magnificence, it was only by slow degrees they arrived at a knowledge of the simple character of the polity of Jesus.

The usurpation of the pope having been crushed, the king's supremacy was next asserted; and it was declared, that, to him it pertained to defend the faith of Christ; to abolish abuses, heresies, and idolatries; and to see that the bishops and priests executed the pastoral office. At the same time, the clergy were called upon to obey the laws of the king, so far as they were not contrary to the laws of God.

In 1534, the annates, or first fruits of benefices, were given to the king; and an act was passed for making suffragan bishops, " which, as is said, had been accustomed to be had within this realm; for the more speedy administration of the sacraments, and other good, wholesome, and devout things, and laudable ceremonies; to the increase of God's honour, and for the commodity of good and devout people."

TindaPs translation of the scriptures was still circulated, to the great grief of the clergy; who clung to the corruptions of popery, though they had renounced the pope. In the fever of his zeal, Tonstal, bishop of London, purchased a great quantity of Tindal's first edition of the New Testament, and publicly burnt them at Cheapside. By this act, he contributed, most efficiently, to the publication of a more correct edition, which was widely spread.

Although an act was passed mitigating the proceedings against heretics, many were brought into the bishops' courts, and charged, some with teaching their children the Lord's prayer in English, some with reading the forbidden books, some with harbouring the preachers of new doctrine, some with speaking against pilgrimages, or worshipping and adorning images, some with not observing the church fasts, some with not coming to confession and the sacrament, and some with speaking against the vices of the clergy. Of these, many abjured their errors, but many were burned.

A part subscribed articles declaring that there was a purgatory, and that souls in it were

S<2 HISTORY OF

profited by masses said for them; that kings were not obliged to give their people the scriptures in the vulgar tongue; with several others.

These persecutions were opposed by the new queen, by Cramner, and by Cromwell, the king's vicegerent in ecclesiastical matters.

The principal enemies of reformation, were, the duke of Norfolk, and Gardiner, bishop of Winchester. With these, joined, the greater part of the clergy.

The king, too, was no friend to the reformation; for he had written in defence of the Romish faith, and he did not like to retract his opinions. Moreover, he was afraid, if he favoured the doctrines of Luther, it would be said he did it out of spite to the pope; and he had reason to expect the emissaries of the pope and emperor would excite a rebellion among his subjects. Cranmer had, indeed, a difficult part to act.

In 1535, began the visitation of monasteries; set on foot for the purpose of ascertaining their corruptions, and preparing the way for suppressing them. They were all required to swear allegiance to the king's supremacy. Their internal polity was examined, and every thing connected with them underwent a close inspection. Sundry injunctions were given them: as, that they were to teach the people the king's supremacy; to have a chapter in the Bible read at each of their meals; to live on common food; to listen to a lecture of divinity for a whole hour every day; and to be well employed. The Abbot was, every day, to explain to them, that, religion consisted, not in rites, but in cleanness of heart, pureness of life, unfeigned faith, brotherly charity, and honouring of God in spirit and in truth. In these we may discover the heart and hand of Cranmer; but, such was the licentiousness of the monks, they were by no means pleased with them.

Monasteries were, at an early age, very numerous in England. They were robbed and ruined by the Danes in the 8th century, but king Edgar re-established them. During succeeding reigns, their number was increased, and, by every possible means, their coffers were enriched. Saying masses to relieve souls from purgatory, was a most lucrative source of revenue. So general was the belief in their virtue, that statutes in mortmain became necessary, in order to prevent the greater part of the estates in England being given to the brotherhood. The shrines, and images, and relics of saints, were, also, profitable: for, the multitude were persuaded, that, pilgrimages and presents to them, would secure an intercession in Heaven. But, the corruption of the monks became so excessive, that, from the 12th century downward, their reputation abated. As they lost ground, the orders of begging friars rose. These, by great appearance of mortification, gained much esteem. They were not as idle and lazy as the monks, but went about, and preached, and heard confessions, and carried indulgences, with many other pretty little things, — Agnus Dei's, Rosaries, and Pebbles; which they made the world believe had great virtue in them. There was a firm union of their whole order; they having a general at Rome, and a provincial in each of their provinces. The school-learning was wholly in their hands, and they were great preachers. But they, too, had become extremely licentious; and, in secret, they plotted much against the king, opposing both his divorce and his supremacy.