HERE FOLLOWETH THE HISTORY OF THE DOINGS AND ATTEMPTS OF STEPHEN
20. And because these articles aforesaid, do contain only such matters as be already published and openly set forth by the king’s majesty’s
authority, by the advice of his highness’s council, for many great and godly considerations; and amongst others, for the common tranquillity and unity of the realm; his majesty’s pleasure, by the advice aforesaid, is that you is, that you, the bishop of Winchester, shall not only affirm these articles with subscription of your hand, but also declare and profess yourself well contented, willing and ready to publish and preach the same at such times and places, and before such audience, as to his majesty from time to time shall seem convenient and requisite;
upon pain of incurring such penalties and punishments as, for not doing the same, may, by his majesty’s laws, be inflicted upon you.
*The95 end of these Articles.
‘At Westminster, the 15th of July, 1550.
‘Report36 was made by the Master of the Horse and Master Secretary Peter that they, with the bishop of London and Master Goodrick, had been with the bishop of Winchester, and offered him the foresaid articles according to the council’s order: whereunto the same bishop of Winchester made answer, that first, to the article of submission he would in no wise consent; affirming, as he had done before, that he had never offended the king’s majesty in any such
sort as should give him cause thus to submit himself; praying earnestly to be brought to his trial; wherein he refused the king’s mercy, and desired nothing but justice. And for the rest of the articles, he answered, that after he were past his trial in this first point, and were at liberty, then it should appear what he would do in them: it not being (as he said) reasonable, that he should
subscribe them in prison.’
‘Whereupon it was agreed that he should be sent for before the whole council and peremptorily examined once again, whether he would stand at this point or no. Which if he did, then to denounce unto him the sequestration of his benefice and consequently the Intimation, in case he were not reformed within three months; as in the day of his appearance shall appear.’
‘At Westminster, the 19th July, 1550.
‘This day the council had access unto the king’s majesty for divers causes, but specially for the bishop of Winchester’s matter; who, this day, was therefore appointed to be before the council: and there having declared unto his highness the circumstances of their proceedings with the bishop, his majesty commanded that if he would this day also stand to his wonted obstinacy, the council should then proceed to the immediate sequestration of his
bishopric and consequently to the intimation. Upon this the bishop of Winchester was brought before the council, and there the articles before mentioned read unto him distinctly and with good
deliberation: whereunto he refused either to subscribe or consent, and thereupon was both the Sequestration and Intimation read unto him, in form following:’ —
‘Whereas the king’s majesty, our most gracious sovereign, lord, hath at divers times set sundry of us to travail with you, to the intent you, acknowledging your bounden duty, should, as a good and obedient subject, have conformed yourself to that uniformity in matters of religion, which is already openly set forth, both by acts of parliament, and otherwise by his majesty’s authority; and hath also of late, by certain of his majesty’s council, sent unto you certain articles, with express commandment that you should affirm
them with subscription of your hand, and also declare and profess yourself well contented, willing, and ready, to publish and preach the same to others, at such time and place, and before such audience as to his majesty should, from time to time, beseeme requisite; because you did at that time expressly refuse to do as you were commanded, to the great contempt of his highness’s most dread commandment, and dangerous example of others; we, having special commission from his majesty to hear and determine your manifold contempts and disobediences, do eftsoons ask and demand of you, whether you will obey and do his majesty’s said commandment or not.’ —
‘Whereunto he answered that in all things that his majesty would lawfully command him, he was willing and most ready to obey; but forasmuch as there were divers things required of him that his conscience would not bear, therefore he prayed them to have him excused. — And thereupon master secretary Peter by the council’s order proceeded with these words.’ — *
THE WORDS OF THE SEQUESTRATION, WITH THE INTIMATION TO THE BISHOP OF WINCHESTER.
Forasmuch as the king’s majesty, our most gracious sovereign lord, under-standeth, and it is also manifestly known and notorious unto us, that the clemency and long sufferance of his majesty, worketh not in you that good effect of humbleness and conformity, that is requisite in a good subject; and for that your first disobediences, contempts, and other misbehaviors, for the which you were by his majesty’s authority justly committed to ward, have, sithens your said committing, daily more and more increased in you, in such sort as a great slander and offense is thereof risen in many parts of the realm, whereby much slander, dissension, trouble and unquietness hath risen, and more is very like to ensue, if your foresaid offences (being, as they be, openly known) should pass unpunished: we let you wit, that having special and express commission and
commandment from his majesty, as well for your contumacies and contempts so long continued, and yet daily more increasing, as also for the exchuing of the slander and offense of the people, which by
your said ill demeanours are risen; and for that also the church of Winchester may be in the mean time provided of a good minister, that may and will see all things done and quietly executed according to the laws and common orders of this realm; and for sundry other great and urgent causes: we do, by these presents, sequester all the fruits, revenues, lands, and possessions of your bishopric of Winchester; and discern, deem, and judge the same to becommitted to the several receipt, collection, and custody, of such person or persons, as his majesty shall appoint for that purpose. And because your former disobediences and contempts, so long continued, so many times doubled, renewed, and aggravated, do manifestly declare you to be a person without all hope of recovery, and plainly incorrigible; we eftsoons admonish and require you to obey his majesty’s said commandment, and that you do declare yourself, by subscription of your hand, both willing and well contented to accept, allow, preach and teach to others, the said articles, and all such other matters as be or shall be set forth by his majesty’s authority of supreme head of this church of England, on this side and within the term of three months; whereof we appoint one month for the first monition, one month for the second
monition and warning, and one month for the third and peremptory monition.
Within which time as you may yet declare your conformity, and shall have paper, pens, and ink, when you will call for them for that purpose; so if you wilfuly forbear and refuse to declare
yourself obedient and conformable as is aforesaid, we intimate unto you, that his majesty, who, like a good governor, desireth to keep both his commonwealth quiet, and to purge the same of ill men (especially ministers), intendeth to proceed against you as an incorrigible person, and unmeet minister of this church, to deprivation of your said bishopric.
‘Nevertheless, upon divers good considerations, and specially in hope he might within his time be yet reconciled, it was agreed, that the said bishop’s house and servants should be maintained in their present estate, until the time of this Intimation should expire, and the matter for the mean time to be kept secret.’
After this sequestration, the said bishop was convented unto Lambeth before the archbishop of Canterbury, and other the king’s commissioners, by virtue of the king’s special letters sent unto the said commissioners; to wit, the archbishop of Canterbury, Nicholas bishop of London, Thomas bishop of Ely, Henry bishop of Lincoln, secretary Peter, sir James Hales knight; Dr. Leyson and Dr. Oliver, lawyers, and John Goshold96 esquire, etc., before them, and by them, to be examined. *But,97 forasmuch as among other divers and sundry crimes and accusations, deduced against this bishop, the especial and chiefest matter wherewith he was charged, depended upon his sermon made before the king’s majesty, in not
satisfying and discharging his duty therein partly in omitting that which he was required to do, partly in speaking of those things, which he was forbid to entreat of — it shall not be out of the order of the story, here to recite the whole tenor and effect of his sermon, as it was penned and exhibited to the commissioners at his examination, with the copy also of the lord protector’s letter, sent unto him before he should preach.
THE TENOR AND COPY OF A LETTER SENT TO THE BISHOP OF WINCHESTER, FROM THE DUKE OF SOMERSET AND THE
REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
Touching such points as the Bishop of Winchester should entreat of in his Sermon. On the twenty-eighth of June, 1548.98
To our loving lord the bishop of Winchester.
We commend us unto you: We sent unto you yesterday our servant William Cecil, to signify unto you our pleasure, and advise that you should, in this your next sermon, forbear to entreat upon those principal questions which remain amongst the number of learned men in this realm as yet in controversy, concerning the Sacrament of the Altar and the Mass; as well for that your private argument or determination therein might offend the people,
naturally expecting decisions of litigious causes, and thereby discord and tumult arise, the occasions whereof we must
necessarily prevent and take away, as also for that the questions and controversies rest at this present in consultation; and, with the pleasure of God, shall be in small time, by public doctrine and
authority, quietly and truly determined. This message we send unto you, not thinking but your own wisdom had considered so much in an apparent manner; or, at the least, upon our
remembrance, ye would understand it, and follow it with good will:
consulting thereby your own quiet in avoiding offense, as observing our pleasure in avoiding contention. Your answer hereunto our said servant hath declared unto us in this manner: ‘Ye can in no wise forbear to speak of the sacrament, neither of the mass;’ this last, being the chief foundation, as you say, of our religion; and that without it, we cannot know that Christ is our sacrifice. The other being so spoken of by many, that if you should not speak your mind thereof, what ye think, you know what other men would think of you. In the end, concluding generally, that ye will speak the truth; and that ye doubt not but we shall be therewith content;
adding also, as our said servant reporteth unto us, that you would not wish that we ourselves should meddle, or have to do in these matters of religion; but that the care thereof were committed to the bishops, unto whom the blame, if any should be deserved, might well be imputed. To this your answer:, if it so be, we reply very shortly, signifying unto you our express pleasure and
commandment, on our sovereign lord the king’s majesty’s behalf, charging you, by the authority of the same, to abstain in your said sermon from treating of any matter in controversy concerning the said sacrament and the mass; and only to bestow your speech in the expert explication of the articles prescribed unto you, and in other wholesome matters of obedience of the people, and good conversation in living; the same matter being both large enough for a long sermon, and not unnecessary for the time: and the treating of the other, which we forbid you, not meet in your private sermon to be had, but necessarily reserved for a public consultation, and at this present utterly to be forborne for the common quiet. This is our express pleasure, wherein we know how reasonably we may command you, and you, we think, know how willingly ye ought to obey us.
For our intermeddling with these causes of religion, understand you, that we account it no small part of our charge, under the
king’s majesty, to bring his people from ignorance to knowledge, and from superstition to true religion; esteeming that the chiefest foundation to build obedience upon; and, where there is a full consent of other the bishops and learned men in a truth, not to suffer you, or a few other wilful heads, to disorder all the rest. And although we presume not to determine articles of religion by ourself, yet from God we knowledge it, we be desirous to defend and advance the truth determined or revealed. And so consequently we will not fail but withstand the disturbers thereof. So fare you well.
From Sion, the 28th of June, anno 1548.
Your loving friend, Edward Somerset.
Here followeth the sum and effect of the sermon which Gardiner bishop of Winchester preached before the king’s majesty, collected by Master Udall, and exhibited up to the commissioners in the time of the examination of the said bishop.
THE SERMON OF STEPHEN GARDINER, BISHOP OF WINCHESTER, PREACHED BEFORE THE KING.99 Most honorable audience! I purpose, by the grace of God, to declare some part of the gospel that is accustomably used to be read in the church as this day. And for because that without the special grace of God, neither I can speak any thing to your
edifying, nor ye receive the same accordingly, I shall desire you all, that we may jointly pray altogether for the assistance of his grace;
in which prayer I commend to Almighty God, your most excellent majesty our sovereign lord, king of England, France and Ireland, and of the church of England and Ireland, next and immediately under God, here on earth the supreme head; queen Katherine dowager;
my lady Mary’s grace, my lady Elizabeth’s grace, your majesty’s most dear sisters; my lord protector’s grace, with all others of your most honorable council; the spiritualty and temporalty. And I shall desire you to commend unto God with your prayer, the souls departed unto God in Christ’s faith; and among these most
specially, for our late sovereign lord king Henry the Eighth, your majesty’s most noble father. For these, and for grace necessary, I shall desire you to say a Pater-noster [and so forth].
The gospel beginneth, ‘Cum venisset Jesus in partes Caesareae Philippi,’ etc. When Jesus was come into the parts of Cesarea, a city that Philippus builder, he asked his disciples and said: Whom do men say that the Son of man is? They said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some that thou art Elias; some that thou art Jeremy, or one of the prophets. He said to them: But whom say ye that I am? Then answered Simon Peter and said, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God, etc.’
I cannot have time, I think, to speak of the gospel thoroughly, for other matters that I have here now to say; but I shall note unto you such things as I may. And first, of the diversity of opinions
concerning Christ, which were among the people variable, but among his (that is, the disciples of Christ’s school) there was no variety. They agreed altogether in one truth, and among them was no variety. For when Peter had, for all the rest, and in the name of all the rest, made his answer, that Christ was the Son of God, they all, with one consent, confessed that he had spoken the truth. Yet these opinions of Christ that the people had of him, though they were sundry, yet were they honorable, and not slanderous; for to say that Christ was Elias, and John the Baptist, was honorable: for some thought him so to be, because he did frankly, sharply, and openly, rebuke vice. They that called him Jeremy, had an honorable opinion of him, and thought him so to be, because of his great learning which they perceived in him; and marvelled where he had it. And they that said he was one of the prophets, had an honorable opinion of him, and favored him, and thought well of him. But there was another sort of people that spake evil of him, and
slandered him and railed on him, saying that he was a glutton, and a drinker of wine; that he had a devil in him; that he was a deceiver of the people; that he was a carpenter’s son (as though he were the worse for his father’s craft). But of these he asked not any
question; for among these, none agreed with the other. Wherein ye shall note, that man of his own power and strength can nothing do.
For nothing that good is, he can do of his own invention or device, but erreth and faileth, when he is left to his own invention. He erreth in his imagination. So proud is man, and so stout of his own courage, that he deviseth nothing well, whensoever he is left to himself without God. And then, never do any such agree in any truth, but wander and err in all that they do: as men of law, if they be asked their opinion in any point touching the law, ye shall not have two of them agree in opinion in any point touching the law;
ye shall not have two of them agree in opinion one with the other.
If there be two or three of them asked their opinion in any matter, if they should answer all one thing, they fear lest they should be supposed and thought to have no learning. Therefore, be they never so many of them, they will not agree in their answers, but devise each man a sundry answer in any thing that they are asked. The philosophers that were not of Christ’s school, erred every one in their vain opinions, and no one of them agreeth with the other. Yea, men of simplicity, though they mean well, yet being out of Christ’s school, they agree not, but vary in their opinions; as these simple people here spoken of, because they were not perfect disciples of Christ’s school, they varied, and agreed not in their opinion of Christ, though they thought well of him.
Some said he was John, some Elias, some Jeremy, but none made the right answer. He that answered here, was Simon the son of Jonas; and he said, ‘Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.’
Where ye shall note the properties that were in Peter, he was called Simon, which is obedience, and Jonas is a dove; so that in him that is of Christ’s school, must be these two properties, obedience and simplicity. He must be humble and innocent as a dove, that will be of Christ’s school. Pride is a let of Christ’s school; for, as the wise man sayeth, ‘God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace unto the humble and meek.’ And according to the same doth Christ in the gospel say: ‘O Father! I confess unto thee (that is: I laud and magnify thee), for that thou hast hidden these things from the wise, and hast opened them unto the little ones. Whereupon sayeth St.
Augustine, that the gifts of learning, and knowledge of sciences, are no let to Christ’s school, but a furtherance thereunto, if they be