Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][ocr errors]

Number 47.

Registr.
Cran.

fol. 56.

A letter written by the council to the bishops, to assure them, that the king intended to go forward in the refor

mation.

By the KING.

RIGHT reverend father in God, right trusty and well-beloved, we greet you well. Whereas the book entituled, the Book of Common Prayers, and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, after the use of the Church of England, was agreed upon, and set forth by act of parliament; and by the same act commanded to be used of all persons within this our realm. Yet nevertheless we are informed, that divers unquiet and evil-disposed persons, sithence the apprehension of the duke of Somerset, have noised and bruited abroad, that they should have again their old Latin service, their conjured bread and water, with such-like vain and superfluous ceremonies, as though the setting forth of the said book had been the only act of the said duke. We therefore, by the advice of the body and state of our privy-council, not only considering the said book to be our act, and the act of the whole state of our realm assembled together in parliament, but also the same to be grounded upon the holy scripture, agreeable to the order of the primitive church, and much to the re-edifying of our subjects, to put away all such vain expectation, of having the publick service, the administration of the sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies again in the Latin tongue, which were but a preferment of ignorance to knowledg, and darkness to light, and a preparation to bring in papistry and superstition again; have thought good, by the advice aforesaid, to require, and nevertheless straitly do command and charge you, that immediately upon the receipt hereof, you do command the dean and prebendaries of your cathedral church; the parson, vicar, or curat, and church-wardens of every parish, within your diocess, to bring and deliver unto you, or your deputy, any of them for their church or parish, at such convenient place

I.

as you shall appoint, all antiphonals, missals, graylles, pro- BOOK cessionals, manuels, legends, pies, portasies, journals, and ordinals, after the use of Sarum, Lincoln, York, or any other private use and all other books of service, the keeping whereof should be a lett to the using of the said Book of Common Prayers; and that you take the same books into your hands, or into the hands of your deputy, and them so to deface and abolish, that they never after may serve, either to any such use as they were provided for, or be at any time a lett to that godly and uniform order, which by a common consent is now set forth. And if you shall find any person stubborn or disobedient in not bringing in the said books, according to the tenour of these our letters, that then ye commit the said person to ward, unto such time as you have certified us of his misbehaviour. And we will and command you, that you also search, or cause search to be made, from time to time, whether any book be withdrawn or hid, contrary to the tenour of these our letters, and the same book to receive into your hands, and to use all in these our letters we have appointed. And further, whereas it is come unto our knowledg, that divers froward and obstinate persons do refuse to pay towards the finding of bread and wine for the holy communion, according to the order prescribed in the said book, by reason whereof the holy communion is many times omitted upon the Sunday. These are to will and command you to convent such obstinate persons before you, and then to admonish and command to keep the order prescribed in the said book; and if any shall refuse so to do, to punish them by suspension, excommunication, or other censures of the church. Fail you not thus to do, as you will avoid our displeasure.

Westminst. Decemb. 25. regni tertio.

[blocks in formation]

PART

II.

Number 48.

Ex MS.
Col. Cor. C.
Cant.

Cardinal Wolsey's letters to Rome, for procuring the popedom to himself, upon pope Adrian's death. My lord of Bath, Mr. Secratary, and Mr. Hannibal, I commend me unto you in my right hearty manner; letting you wit, that by letters lately sent unto me from you my lord of Bath, and Mr. Hannibal, dated at Rome the 14th day of September. Which letters I incontinently shewed unto the king's grace his highness. And I have been advertised, to our great discomfort, that the said 14th day, it pleased Almighty God to call the pope's holiness unto his infinite mercy, whose soul Jesu pardon. News certainly unto the king's grace and to me right heavy, and for the universal weal or quiet of Christendom, (whereunto his holiness, like a devout and virtuous father of holy church, was very studious) much displeasant and contrarious; nevertheless, conforming our selves to the pleasure of Almighty God, to whose calling we all must be obedient; the mind and intention of the king's highness, and of me both, is to put some helps and furtherances, as much as conveniently may be, that such a successor unto him may now, by the holy college of cardinals, be named and elected, as may, with God's grace, perform, atchieve, and fufil the good and vertuous purposes and intents, concerning the pacification of Christendom; whereunto our said late holy father, as much as the brevity of the time did suffer, was, as it should seem, minded and inclined; which thing, how necessary it is to the state of Christ's religion, now daily more and more declining, it is facile and easy to be consider'd; and surely amongst other Christian princes, there is none which as ye heretofore have perfectly understood, that to this purpose more dedicated themselves to give furtherance, advice, and counsel, than the emperor and the king's grace, who as well before the time of the last vacation, as sithence, by mouth and by letters, with report of ambassadors and otherwise, had many sundry conferences, communications, and devices, in that behalf. In which it hath pleased them, far above my merits, or deserts, of their goodness, to think, judg, and

I.

esteem me to be meet and able for to aspire unto that dig- BOOK nity; persuading, exhorting, and desiring me, that whensoever opportunity should be given, I should hearken to their advice, counsel, and opinion in that behalf; and offering unto me, to interpone their authorities, helps, and furtherances therein to the uttermost. In comprobation whereof, albeit the emperor, now being far distant from these parts, could not, nor might in so brief time, give unto the king's grace, new or fresh confirmation of his purpose, desire, and intent herein: yet nevertheless my lady Margaret, knowing the inclination of his mind in this same, hath, by a long discourse made unto me semblable exhortation; offering, as well on the emperor's behalf, as on her own, that as much shall by them be done, to the furtherance thereof, as may be possible. Besides this, both by your letters, and also by particular most loving letters of the cardinal's de Medicis, Sanctorum Quatuor and Campegius, with credence show'd unto me on their behalf, by their folks here resident, I perceive their good and fast minds, which they, and divers other their friends owe unto me in that matter. And finally, the king's highness doth not cease, by all the gracious and comfortable means possible to insist, that I, for manifold, notable, urgent, and great respects, in any wise shall consent that his grace and the emperor do set forth the thing with their best manner. The circumstances of whose most entire and most firm mind thereunto, with their bounteous, godly, and beneficial offers for the weal of Christendom, which his grace maketh to me herein, is too long to rehearse. For which causes, albeit I know my self far unmeet and unable to so high a dignity, minding rather to live and die with his grace in this his realm, doing honour, service, good or pleasure to the same, than now (mine old days approaching) to enter into new things; yet nevertheless, for the great zeal and perfect mind which I have to the exaltation of the Christian faith; the honour, weal, and surety of the king's grace, and the emperor, and to do my duty both to Almighty God and to the world, I referring every thing to God's disposition and pleasure, shall not pre

II.

PART termit to declare unto you such things, as the king's highness hath specially willed me to signify unto you, on his grace's behalf, who most effectually willeth and desireth you to set forth the same, omitting nothing that may be to the furtherance thereof, as his special trust is in you.

First, Ye shall understand, that the mind, and entire desire of his highness, above all earthly things, is, that I should attain to the said dignity, having his perfect and firm hope, that of the same shall ensue, and that in brief time, a general and universal repose, tranquillity, and quietness in Christendom; and as great renown, honour, profit, and reputation to this realm as ever was; besides the singular comfort and rejoice that the king's grace, with all his friends and subjects should take thereof; who might be well assured thereby, to compone and order their great causes and affairs, to their high benefit, commodity, and most advantage. For this, and other great and urgent causes, the pleasure of his highness is, that like-as ye my lord of Bath, and Mr. Hannibal, have right prudently and discreetly begun: so ye all, or as many of you as be present in the court of Rome, and continue your practices, overtures, motions and labours, to bring and conduce this the king's inward desire to perfect end and effect.

And because it is not to be doubted, but that before the receipt of these my letters, ye having former instructions, shall have far entred your devices in this matter, wherein the king's grace trusteth ye do lose no time or opportunity that possibly may be had; I shall therefore briefly and compendiously touch such this thing, as the king's highness would ye should substantially note in this behalf.

One is, that albeit ye both before, and also now, know the king's mind and desire herein, as is aforesaid, taking that for your foundation; yet nevertheless, forasmuch as it appeareth by your said letters, and otherwise, that the cardinal de Medicis, whose preferment (if this may not be had) both the king's grace and I tendereth above all other, mindeth to experiment what may be done for himself, great policy and dexterity is in your labours and communications to be used,

« AnteriorContinuar »