BONNER OBJECTS TO RIDLEY'S LEASES.

359

were passed without any recorded objections. The chief of these was, that none should be punished for exercising the religious services appointed in the reign of King Edward-a law which had the effect of pardoning those who remained in prison on that account. Bonner appears to have attended regularly in his place till the dissolution of Parliament.*

I have already said that the Convocation was forbidden to pass any canons. Bonner, however, exerted himself to the utmost, and with great success, to induce the Convocation to oppose the measures affecting religion. He commanded his Chaplain Harpsfield to draw up the five articles, which the lower House of Convocation desired the Bishops to present to the Lords. They were presented, by Bonner, to the Chancellor, but they were never made the matter of discussion by the House. I am unable to state the reasons for which Bonner did not make them the subject of a distinct motion.

In the present day the House of Commons would fiercely resent any interference of a member of the House of Lords with their debates, as a gross breach of privilege. In the reign of Elizabeth this interference seems to have excited no surprize. On the 11th of March a Bill was brought into the House of Commons to confirm Bishop Ridley's leases. The Bill passed the House-but Bishop Bonner, with the boldness and decision which characterized all his proceedings, came down in person to the House, * 8th May, 1559.

360 THE LATIN MASS-BOOK FINALLY REJECTED.

demanded a copy of the Bill, and stigmatized Ridley as an usurper of the Bishopric. The House granted his request, and appointed Wednesday the 15th to consider his objections. Bonner appeared at their bar at the time assigned him, and argued that he had been deprived unjustly of his See, in the reign of Edward, and that Ridley was, therefore, an intruder, whose leases were consequently void. His plea was not admitted, and the law passed-but Bonner was neither injured nor insulted. His firmness and decision seem to have overawed the very Ultra-Protestants, who most hated both his person and opinions.

So ended the Parliament which re-established the present frame-work of the Church of England. The Prayer-book of Ridley, Cranmer, Latimer, and their Ultra-Protestant King, was ordered to be again brought into use on St. John Baptist's day.* The Latin Mass-book, which had been permitted to be used from the days of the Queen's accession till this time, was removed; and never has been since regarded with favour, till I and my brethren have again begun to eulogize it. The Prayer-book was joyfully received by the Ultra-Protestants and by the people generally, with the exception of the Anti-Episcopal party, who were returning from Geneva and their other places of exile on the Continent. As Mary had changed religion without the consent of the Clergy, but imprisoned an Arch

* June 24th.

BONNER REJECTS THE OATH OF SUPREMACY. 361

bishop and Bishop, and at length burnt them; so Elizabeth changed the religion of the country without the consent of the Archbishop and Bishopswhom though she did not burn, she deprived of their preferments. The nation was divided. The Parliaments were easily packed by Sheriffs who obeyed the mandates of the Court. The violence of Mary, I must confess, to have been greater than that of Elizabeth. The changes, under Edward, received the sanction of all the legal powers of the realm. Those of Mary were begun by the authority of the Court alone, without the sanction of the Parliament. Those of Elizabeth were all begun and completed by the Parliament; and they confirmed only the establishment of Edward, which had forcibly and illegally been removed by Mary.

We are now, then, once more to consider Bonner in adversity. The Parliament was dissolved on the 8th of May. On the 30th of that month Bonner was summoned before the Council, and the oath of supremacy, disowning the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, was formally tendered to him. He refused to take it, and was informed that his bishopric was again forfeited. His last act of authority as a Bishop, the collation to a benefice, had been performed on the 6th of May. On the 30th he was deprived.* Sen

*

Anthony Wood was in possession of Bonner's Eusebius. Bonner had written in it Litera Dominicali A. An. Dom. MDLIX, die Maii xxx, vocatus ad concilium recusavi præstare juramentum et omnino deprivatus.*

*Strype, (Elizabeth) chap. ii,

362 CONFERENCE BETWEEN ELIZABETH AND THE BISHOPS.

tence of deprivation was not actually pronounced on him till the following month. Much reluctance seems to have been felt by the Queen before she resolved on taking this very decided step. All the fourteen Marian Bishops had been called before her, with the other Clergy of the Convocation, eight days after the Parliament was dissolved. Bonner was with them. The Queen addressed them: she reminded them that she had only restored the antient rights of the Crown, by bringing back the supremacy; and begged them to take into their serious consideration the affairs of the Church, and to banish from it, all schism and the superstitious worship of Rome. The Bishops (Bonner never seems to have excelled in the art of public speaking, which indeed is no certain criterion of great talent,) answered the Queen by Heth, the Archbishop of York. They begged her to recollect and to imitate the zeal of Mary for the See of Rome, and the reconciliation which in her reign had been made between England and Rome : and they loyally and candidly assured her that if Elizabeth imitated the example of Mary, that then the Bishop of Rome would once more restore the island to his favour.* The Queen listened in silence. When Heth had done speaking, she made this most Ultra-Protestant answer, "as Joshua declared, I and "my house will serve the Lord; so I and my realm "are resolved to serve Him. As he assembled the "Elders of Judea to make a covenant with God, I

* Strype, (Elizabeth) chap. ii.

ever."*

ELIZABETH'S SPEECH TO THE BISHOPS.

363

my

"have assembled the Parliament and Clergy of "nation to make a covenant, not with the Bishop "of Rome, but with God. My sister could not "bind the kingdom to an usurped authority. I ab"solutely renounce all foreign jurisdiction. I will "be no way subject to any power, but to Christ "the King of Kings. I esteem all my subjects, "whether ecclesiastical or civil, to be enemies to “God, to me, and to my successors, who shall hence"forth own his usurped or any foreign power whatThis speech might have been spoken by George the Third. The Ultra-Protestants still quote Scripture in the same manner against the Bishop of Rome. They still talk of religion as being the covenant between God and their souls. After such a speech there was no remedy. The oath of supremacy was tendered to the Bishops and the whole Clergy of the realm. Their number was calculated at 9400 ecclesiastical persons. Of all these, I blush to say, one hundred and seventy-seven only vacated their preferments, rather than renounce Rome and accept the Prayer-book of Edward.† Bonner was one of the number. He was finally deprived, according to the forms required by law, by the Commissioners, on the 29th of June, 1559. Where he re

* Strype, ut supra.

Strype, (Elizabeth) chap. ii. There were, however, according to Camden, 14 Bishops, 13 Deans, 14 Archdeacons, 15 Heads of Colleges, 50 Prebendaries, 80 Rectors, Abbots, &c. 6, or 192.