BOOK might be now placed, and have his fee accordingly. ToI. wards Christmas, the King invited her most courteously to Anno 1547. keep her holydays with him, together with his other sister, The King to the Lady the Lady Elizabeth. Yet if she were indisposed in her health, as she had lately been, or if it were any otherwise inconvenient for her to come now, the King very obligingly left it to her liberty, and invited her at any other time, when she pleased herself, to resort to him. This invitation of his by writing was signed by divers Lords of the Council; as may be seen by this transcript of it ensuing: 66 66 66 Right dear and right entirely beloved sister, we greet Mary, in- you well. And whereas our right dear and right enviting her tirely beloved sister, the Lady Elizabeth, having made to Court. Otho, C.10." suit to visit us, hath sithence her coming desired to re"main with us during all this Christmas holydays, like as we cannot but take this her request in thankful part, so 59" would we be glad, and should think us very well accom"panied, if we might have you also with us the same time. "But because the time is now very short, and we be not "well assured in what state of health you be, we pray you "no otherwise to take this journey upon you, but with such "consideration of your health as is meet. And therefore, "if for want of the same you may not conveniently repair "hither before these holydays, we pray you to do that shall "best stand with your quiet and health. And at any other "time, when both the time and your health shall better "suffer, we will be right glad so see you. She cen sures the "R. Ryche, Canc. W. Saint John. J. Russel. Yet she took upon her to censure the King's proceedings, proceedings. and carried herself with some haughtiness of stomach toward the Counsellors for the present management of affairs. Indeed the stiff Papists, such as Bishop Gardiner, were very much offended to see the reformation proceed, as it did, under this good King: and they gave out, that herein the VII. the Pro tector. King's Ministers, that forwarded these proceedings, brake CHAP. the late King Henry's will, and were not faithful to their trust. And they set on the Lady Mary (who was of her Anno 1547. own nature forward enough to it) to charge these things home to the Counsellors. And to this purpose she wrote Writes to somewhat sharply to the Protector: charging him and the other executors of King Henry's last testament, that they did not faithfully fulfil it by their present doings and proceedings. She told him, that the most part of the realm, through a naughty liberty and presumption, were now brought into such a division, as if they, who were the executors of the King's last will, went not about to bring them to that stay, that the King their late master left them in, they would forsake all obedience, unless they had their own will and fantasy. And then it would follow that the King should not be well served, and that other realms would have them of this realm in obloquy and derision; and that not without just cause, as she said. She added, that there was a godly order and quietness left by the King, their late master and her father, in this realm, at the time of his death; and that the spiritualty and temporalty of the whole realm did not only, without compulsion, fully assent to his doings and proceedings, specially in matters of religion, but also in all kind of talk, whereof she herself could partly witness. The present proceedings she esteemed nothing but fantasy and newfangledness. tector's answer and of the King's Counsellors. The Protector, nettled somewhat with this her letter, in The Proanswer told her, "that neither he nor any other of the "executors, as he knew of, would willingly neglect the full vindication "execution of every jot of King Henry's will, as far as it might stand with the King their present master's honour "and surety. And otherwise he was sure that her Grace "would not have it take place. They doubted not, but "that their doings therein, and in all other things com"mitted to their charge, should be such as they should be "able to answer to the whole world, both in honour and "discharge of their consciences. That her words sounded so ill, that he could not persuade himself but she was set 66 BOOK "on by some uncharitable and malicious persons: of which 1. "sort there were, he said, too many. That they were not Anno 1547." so simple to weigh and regard the sayings of evil disposed 60. persons, nor the doings of other countries, as to neglect "their duty to God, to their Sovereign, and native country. "And that, thanks be to God, such had been the King's "proceedings, their young noble master, that all his faith"ful subjects had more cause to render to God their hearty "thanks for the manifold benefits shewed to the King, and "to the people and realm, since the first day of his reign "to that hour, than to be offended with it: and to judge " and think that God was contented and pleased with them, "the King's ministers; who sought nothing but the true glory of God, and the surety of the King's person, with "the quietness and wealth of his subjects. 66 66 "That it was so far from a godly and quiet order which "was left by the late King, and that the spiritualty and temporalty all agreed and assented to that King's doings "and proceedings, that, as she might call to remembrance, great were the labours and travails that King had, before "he could reform some of those stiffnecked Romanists and Papists, that they caused his subjects to rise and rebel "against him. That some of them, viz. the Romanists' "sect, within his realm, as well as without, conspired often"times his Majesty's death. Which was manifestly and "often proved, to the confusion of some of their privy as"sisters. He appealed then to her, whether all the spi 66 66 ritualty or temporalty did fully consent to his godly or"ders. He put it to her, as well knowing it, if that King "did not depart this life before he had fully finished such "orders as he minded to have established among his people, "if death had not prevented him. And that it was most "true, that no kind of religion was perfected at his death, "but left all uncertain; most likely to have brought in 66 parties and divisions, if God had not helped. He and "others could witness, what regret and sorrow their late "master had at the time of his departure, for that he "knew religion was not established, as he purposed to have "done: and a great many knew, and so did he, what that CHAP. 66 King would have done further in it, if he had lived.” VII. The letter is of that import, and openeth so much the con- Anno 1547. clusion of that Prince's reign, and his mature and last mind in religion, that it deserves to stand upon record to posterity; and I had entered it here from a Cotton volume, but find it done already by the right reverend author of the History of the Reformation, among the Collections. Page 115. it. The plague was this year in sundry places, and, among A plague. others, in the city of Westminster, where the King now was, and a great resort of the nobility and gentry, a Parliament being now sitting. Therefore, that as much care as could be, might be taken against the spreading of it, and that infected houses might be known, and so avoided, the King therefore, Nov. 18, set forth by proclamation a charge and A proclamacommand to all persons, inhabiting as well within the said tion about city, as in other places adjoining to the same, in whose houses the said infection reigned, or hereafter should reign, that they forthwith set forth a cross upon their street doors, whereby the King's subjects might know that the infection was or had been in their houses: and moreover, that no manner of person, in whose houses the said infection was, or hath been, or had resorted to any such infected person, by 61 the space of three months last past, should from thenceforth repair to the Court, or suffer any of the attendants of the said Court, or other gentlemen's servants, whose masters attended the said Court, to enter their house where the said infection of the plague had been, upon pain of his high indignation and displeasure, and farther to be punished, &c. BOOK 1. Anno 1547. CHAP. VIII. The Com both kinds A Parliament. Communion in both kinds enacted. The act for chantries. The abuse thereof. Other acts. Letters and disputations between Bishop Gardiner and Martin Bucer. They and Aless meet together in Germany. Anno 1547. THIS first Parliament of King Edward sat November 4, munion in and continued sitting till December 24 following. When, established, among other memorable things which they did, viz. when they had enjoined the Sacrament to be received in both kinds, and that the Priests should give notice to the people as often as it should be celebrated, and some such things mentioned in the act; the King had certain Bishops, and other learned Divines sitting, to draw an office in English, to be used for that purpose: which being finished The Com- was called, The Communion; and is printed in Bishop Sparrow's Collections. This Communion Book was set abroad the beginning of March, with the King's proclamation before it, dated March 8. And the Privy Council sent their letters missive to all the Bishops, together with the said Communion Book, to be distributed to them for their use against Easter next. Which letters were dated March 13, and signed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rich. Lord Chancellor, Lord St. Johns, Lord Russel, Lord Arundel, Sir Ant. Wyngfeld, Sir W. Petre, Sir Edw. North, Sir Edw. Wotton. Therein it was said, "how the King, upon that "act of Parliament, had caused divers grave and learned munion Book. Fox, How observed. 66 prelates, and other men learned in the Scriptures, to as"semble together; and that they, after long conference, "with deliberate advice, agreed upon that order to be used "in all places, in the distribution of the holy Sacrament.” But the issue of this was, that there arose a marvellous schism and variety of factions, in celebrating the Communion Service some followed the King's proceedings; others admitted them, but did patchingly use but some part of the |