pointed a royal visitation, and commanded the clergy to preach nowhere but in their parish churches without licence, till the visitation was over. The kingdom was divided into six circuits; two gentlemen, a civilian, a divine, and a registrer, being appointed for each. The divines were by their preaching to instruct the people in the doctrines of the Reformation, and to bring them off from their old superstitions. The visitation began in the month of August; six of the gravest divines, and most popular preachers, attended it: their names were, Dr. Ridley, Dr. Madew, Mr. Briggs, Cottisford, Joseph, and Farrar. A book of homilies* or sermons, upon the chief points of the Christian faith †, drawn up chiefly by archbishop Cranmer, was printed, and ordered to be left with every parish priest, to supply the defect of preaching, which few of the clergy at that time were capable of performing. Cranmer communicated it to Gardiner, and would fain have gained his approbation of it; but he was so inflamed at being left out of the king's will, that he constantly opposed all innovation till the king should be of age. With these homilies the visitors were to deliver sundry injunctions from the king, to the number of thirty-six ‡. * Burnet's Hist. Ref. vol. 2. p. 27. + The book consisted of twelve discourses on the following arguments:-1. Concerning the use of the Scriptures. 2. Of the misery of mankind by sin. 3. Of their salvation by Christ. 4. Of a true and lively faith. 5. Of good works, 6. Of Christian love and charity. 7. Against swearing and perjury. 8. Against apostacy. 9. Against the fear of death. 10. An exhortation to obedience. 11. Against whoredom and adultery. 12. Against strife and contention about matters of religion. These titles of the homilies are taken verbatim from bishop Burnet. -Neal's Review. The chief were, 1. "That all ecclesiastical persons observe the laws relating to the king's supremacy. 2. "That they preach once a quarter against pilgrimages and praying to images, and exhort to works of faith and charity. 3. "That images abused with pilgrimages and offerings be taken down ; that no wax candles or tapers be burnt before them; but only two lights upon the high altar before the sacrament shall remain still, to signify that Christ is the light of the world. The limitation in this article giving occasion to great heats among the people, some affirming their images had been so abused, and others not, the council sent orders to see them all taken down. 4. "That when there is no sermon, the Paternoster, the Creed, and ten commandments, shall be recited out of the pulpit to the parishioners. 5. "That within three months every church be provided with a Bible; and within twelve months, with Erasmus's Paraphrase on the New Testament. 9. "That they examine such who come to confession, whether they can recite the Paternoster, Creed, and ten commandments, in English, before they receive the sacrament of the altar, else they ought not to come to God's board. 21. "That in time of high mass the epistle and gospel shall be read in English; and that one chapter in the New Testament be read at matins, and one in the Old at even song. 23. "No processions shall be used about churches or churchyards; but immediately before high mass the litany shall be said or sung in English; and all ringing of bells (save one) utterly forborne. 24. "That the holy days at the first beginning godly instituted and ordained, be wholly given to God, in hearing the word of God read and taught; in private and public prayers, in acknowledging their offences to God, and promising amendment; The bishops were enjoined to see the articles put in execution, and to preach themselves four times a year, unless they had a reasonable excuse. They were to give orders to none but such as were able to preach and to recal their licences from others. The injunctions were to be observed under the pains of excommunication, sequestration, or deprivation. In bidding of their prayers they were to remember the king their supreme head, the queen-dowager, the king's two sisters, the lord-protector, and the council; the nobility, the clergy, and the commons, of this realm. The custom of bidding prayer, which is still in use in the church, is a relic of Popery. Bishop Burnet* has preserved the form, as it was in use before the Reformation, which was this: After the preacher had named and opened his text, he called on the people to go to their prayers, telling them what they were to pray for. "Ye shall pray (says he) for the king, for the pope, for the holy catholic church," &c. After which all the people said their beads in a general silence, and the minister kneeled down likewise and said his: they were to say a Paternoster, Ave Maria, Deus misereatur nostri, Domine salvum fac regem, Gloria Patri, &c. and then the sermon proceeded. How sadly this bidding of prayer has been abused of late, by some divines, to the entire omission of the duty itself, is too well known to need a remark ! Most of the bishops complied with the injunctions, except Bonner of London, and Gardiner of Winchester. Bonner offered a reserve, but that not being accepted, he made an absolute submission; nevertheless, he was sent for some time to the Fleet for contempt. Gardiner having protested against the injunctions and homilies as contrary to the law of God, was sent also to the Fleet, where he continued till after the parliament was over, and was then released by a general act of grace. The parliament that met November the 9th, made several alterations in favour of the Reformation. They repealed all laws that made any thing treason but what was specified in the act of 25 Edward III.; and two of the statutes against Lollardies. They repealed the statute of the six articles, with the acts that followed in explanation of it; all laws in the late reign, declaring any thing felony that was not so declared before; together with the act that made the king's proclamation of equal authority with in reconciling themselves to their neighbours, receiving the communion, visiting the sick, &c. Only it shall be lawful in time of harvest to labour upon holy and festival days, in order to save that thing which God hath sent; and that scrupulosity to abstain from working on those days does grievously offend God. 28. That they take away all shrines, coverings of shrines, tables, candlesticks, trindills, or rolls of wax, pictures, paintings, and other monuments of feigned miracles, so that no memory of them remain in walls or windows; exhorting the people to do the like in their several houses." The rest of the articles related to the advancement of learning, to the encouragement of preaching, and correcting some very gross abuses. * Hist. Ref. vol. 2. p. 30. and Collection of Records, b. 1. No. 8. an act of parliament. Besides the repeal of these laws, sundry new ones were enacted *, as "that the sacrament of the Lord's supper should be administered in both kinds," agreeably to Christ's first institution, and the practice of the church for five hundred years; and that all private masses should be put down: an act concerning the admission of bishops into their sees; which sets forth, that the manner of choosing bishops by a congé d'elire, being but the shadow of an election, all bishops hereafter shall be appointed by the king's letters patent only, and shall continue the exercise of their jurisdiction during their natural life, if they behave wellt. One of the first patents with this clause is that of Dr. Barlow, bishop of Bath and Wells, bearing date Feb. 3, in the second year of the king's reign; but all the rest of the bishops afterward took out letters for their bishopricks with the same clause. In this the archbishop had a principal hand; for it was his judgment, that the exercise of all episcopal jurisdiction depended upon the prince; and that as he gave it, he might restrain or take it away at his pleasure §. Cranmer thought the exercise of his own episcopal authority ended with the late king's life, and therefore would not act as archbishop till he had a new commission from king Edward ||. In the same statute it is declared, "that since all jurisdiction both spiritual and temporal was derived from the king, therefore all processes in the spiritual court should from henceforward be carried on in the king's name, and be sealed with the king's seal, as in the other courts of common law, except the archbishop of Canterbury's courts, only in all faculties and dispensations; but all collations, presentations, or letters of orders, were to pass under the bishops' proper seals as formerly." By this law, causes concerning wills and marriages were to be tried in the king's name; but this was repealed in the next reign. Lastly: The parliament gave the king all the lands for maintenance of chantries not possessed by his father; all legacies given for obits, anniversaries, lamps in churches; together with all guild-lands; which any fraternity enjoyed on the same account the money was to be converted to the maintenance of grammar-schools; but the hungry courtiers shared it among themselves. After this the houses were prorogued from the 24th of December to the 20th of April following. : The convocation that sat with the parliament did little; the majority being on the side of Popery, the archbishop was afraid of venturing any thing of importance with them; nor are any of their proceedings upon record; but Mr. Strype has collected from the notes of a private member, that the lower house agreed to the communion in both kinds; and that upon a division, about 1 Edw. VI. cap. 1. +] Edw. VI. cap. 2. Burnet's Hist. Ref. vol. 2. p. 218. § Strype's Mem. Cran. p. 141. App. p. 53. Burnet's Hist. Ref. vol. 2. p. 42. ¶ Edw. VI. cap. 14. the lawfulness of priests' marriages, fifty-three were for the affirmative, and twenty-two for the negative*. The Reformation in Germany lying under great discouragements by the victorious arms of Charles V. who had this year taken the duke of Saxony prisoner, and dispossessed him of his electorate, several of the foreign reformers, who had taken sanctuary in those parts, were forced to seek it elsewhere. Among these Peter Martyr, a Florentine, was invited by the archbishop, in the king's name, into England, and had the divinity-chair given him at Oxford; Bucer had the same at Cambridge; Ochinus and Fagius, two other learned foreigners, had either pensions or canonries with a dispensation of residence, and did good service in the universities; but Fagius soon after died. The common people were very much divided in their opinions about religion; some being zealous for preserving the Popish rites, and others no less averse to them. The country people were very tenacious of their old shows, as processions, wakes, carrying of candles on Candlemas-day, and palms on PalmSundays, &c., while others looked upon them as Heathenish rites, absolutely inconsistent with the simplicity of the gospel. This was so effectually represented to the council by Cranmer, that a proclamation was published Feb. 6, 1548, forbidding the continuance of them. And for putting an end to all contests about images that had been abused to superstition, an order was published Feb. 11th, that all images whatsoever should be taken out of churches; and the bishops were commanded to execute it in their several diocesses+. Thus the churches were emptied of all those pictures, and statues, which had for divers ages been the objects of the people's adoration. The clergy were no less divided than the laity; the pulpits clashing one against another, and tending to stir up sedition and rebellion the king therefore, after the example of his father, and by advice of his council, issued out a proclamation, Sept. 3, in the second year of his reign, to prohibit all preaching throughout all his dominions. The words are these: "The king's highness, minding shortly to have one uniform order throughout this realm, and to put an end to all controversies in religion, so far as God shall give grace; doth at this present, and till such time as the said order shall be set forth, inhibit all manner of persons whatsoever, to preach in open audience in the pulpit or otherwise; to the intent, that the whole clergy, in the mean space, may apply themselves in prayer to Almighty God, for the better achieving the same most godly intent and purpose." At the same time a committee of divines was appointed to examine and reform the offices of the church: these were the archbishops of Canterbury and York; the bishops of London, Strype's Life of Cran. p. 156. + Burnet's Hist. Ref. vol. 2. p. 61. 64. Burnet's Hist. Ref. vol. 2. p. 61. 64. Durham, Worcester, Norwich, St. Asaph, Salisbury, Coventry and Lichfield, Carlisle, Bristol, St. David's, Ely, Lincoln, Chichester, Hereford, Westminster, and Rochester; with the doctors Cox, May, Taylor, Heins, Robertson, and Redmayn. They began with the sacrament of the eucharist, in which they made but little alteration, leaving the office of the mass as it stood, only adding to it so much as changed it into a communion of both kinds. Auricular confession was left indifferent. The priest having received the sacrament himself, was to turn to the people and read the exhortation: then followed a denunciation, requiring such as had not repented to withdraw, lest the devil should enter into them as he did into Judas. After a little pause, to see if any would withdraw, followed a confession of sins and absolution, the same as now in use; after which the sacrament was administered in both kinds without elevation. This office was published with a proclamation, declaring his majesty's intentions to proceed to a further reformation; and willing his subjects not to run before his direction, assuring them of his earnest zeal in this affair, and hoping they would quietly tarry for it. In reforming the other offices they examined and compared the Romish missals of Sarum, York, Hereford, Bangor, and Lincoln; and out of them composed the morning and evening service, almost in the same form as it stands at present; only there was no confession, nor absolution. It would have obviated many objections if the committee had thrown aside the mass-book, and composed a uniform service in the language of Scripture, without any regard to the church of Rome; but this they were not aware of, or the times would not bear it. From the same materials, they compiled a litany, consisting of many short petitions, interrupted by suffrages; it is the same with that which is now used, except the petition to be delivered from the tyranny of the bishop of Rome, and all his detestable enormities; which, in the review of the liturgy in queen Elizabeth's time, was struck out. In the administration of baptism a cross was to be made on the child's forehead and breast, and the devil was exorcised to go out, and enter no more into him. The child was to be dipped three times in the font, on the right and left side, and on the breast, if not weak. A white vestment was to be put upon it in token of innocence; and it was to be anointed on the head, with a short prayer for the unction of the Holy Ghost. In order to confirmation, those that came were to be catechised; then the bishop was to sign them with the cross, and lay his hands upon them, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. If sick persons desired to be anointed, the priest might do it upon the forehead and breast, only making the sign of the cross; with a short prayer for his recovery. In the office of burial, the soul of the departed person is |