AN.REG.1, Day, and Heath were again restored. The like course also 1553. followed for the depriving of all Deans, Dignitaries, and Pa Divisions about religion. rochial Ministers, who had succeeded into any of those prefer- 9. But greater was the havoc which was made amongst them when there was any colour or pretence of law; as in the case of having wives, or not conforming to the Queen's pleasure in all points of religion; considering how forward and pragmatical too many were to run before the laws in the like particular. The Queen was zealous in her way, and by her interess strongly biassed to the Church of Rome. But it concerned her to be wary, and not to press too much at once upon the people, which generally were well affected to the Reformation. Of this she had a stout experiment within very few days after her first entrance into London. For so it happened, that Dr Bourn, Archdeacon of London and one of the Prebendaries of St Paul's, preaching a sermon at the Cross, on the 13th of August, inveighed in favour of Bishop Bonner, who was present at it, against some proceedings in the time of the late King Edward. Which so incensed the people that suddenly a great tumult arose upon it; some pelting him with stones, others crying out aloud, "Pull him down! pull him down!" and one (who never could be known) flinging a dagger at his head, which after was found sticking in a post of the pulpit. And 1 Stow, 613. 3 Harmer (Wharton), 124. 2 Fox, vi. 537. 4 Edd. 1, 2, "Prebends." 5 "But who it was, it could not then be proved, albeit afterward it was known."-Fox, vi. 392. Comp. vii. 144. 1553. greater had the mischief been upon this occasion, if Mr Brad- AN. REG.1, ford and Mr Rogers, two eminent preachers in the time of King Edward, and of great credit and esteem with the common people, had not endeavoured to appease the enraged multitude, and with great difficulty secured the preacher in the school adjoining. By reason of which tumult an order was taken by the Lords of the Council with the Mayor and Aldermen of London, that they, calling the next day following a Common Council of the City, should thereby charge every householder to cause their children and apprentices to keep their own parish churches upon the holy-days, and not to suffer them to attempt any thing to the violating of the common peace. Willing them also to signify to the said assembly the Queen's determination uttered to them by her Highness, the 12th of August, in the Tower; which was, that albeit her Grace's conscience was staid in matters of religion, yet she graciously meant not to compel or strain other men's, otherwise than God should (as she trusted) put into their hearts a persuasion of that truth which she was in, through the opening of his word unto them by godly, virtuous, and learned preachers; that is to say, such preachers only as were to be hereafter licensed by the Queen's authority1. 10. But yet, for fear that these instructions might not edify with the common people, order was taken for preventing the like tumult on the Sunday following; at what time the sermon was preached by Dr Watson, who afterwards2 was Bishop of Lincoln, but Chaplain only at that time to the Bishop of Winchester. For whose security, not only many of the Lords of the Council-that is to say, the Lord Treasurer, the Lord Privy Seal, the Earl of Bedford, the Earl of Pembroke, the Lords Wentworth and Rich-were severally desired to be there present, but Jerningham, Captain of the Guard, was appointed with two hundred of his stoutest yeomen to stand round about him with their halberts3. The Mayor had also taken order that all the Companies in their liveries should be present at it, which was well taken by the Queen. And because the coming of the Guard on the one side affrighted some, and the order of the Lords above mentioned had restrained others from coming to those public sermons, it was commanded by 1 Stow, 614; Fox, vi. 392. Stow, 614. 2 A.D. 1557. 3 1553. AN. REG. 1, the Lord Mayor, that the ancients of all Companies should give attendance at those sermons for the time to come, lest otherwise the preachers might be discouraged at the sight of so thin an auditory1. The safety of those public preachers being thus provided for by the Lords of the Council, their next care was, that nothing should be preached in private churches contrary to the doctrine which was and should be taught at the 23 Cross by them which were appointed to it. Whereupon it was 193 further ordered, that every Alderman in his ward should forthwith send for the curates of every church within their liberties, and warn them not only to forbear preaching themselves, but also not to suffer any other to preach or make any open or solemn reading of scripture in their churches, unless the said preachers were severally licensed by the Queen2. To which purpose letters were directed also to the Bishop of Norwich3, and possibly to all other Bishops in their several dioceses. But nothing more discovers the true state and temper of the present time than a proclamation published by the Queen, on the 18th of August. The tenor of which is as followeth : Proclamation respecting religion. "THE Queen's Highness, well remembering what great inconvenience and dangers have grown to this her realm in times past, through the diversities of opinions in questions of religion; and hearing also that now of late, sithence the beginning of her most gracious reign, the same contentions be again much revived, through certain false and untrue reports and rumours spread by some [light and] evil-disposed persons, hath thought good to give to understand to all her Highness's most loving subjects her most gracious pleasure in manner following. First, her Majesty, being presently, by the only goodness of God, settled in her just possession of the imperial crown of this realm and other dominions thereunto belonging, cannot now hide that religion which God and the world knoweth she hath ever professed from her infancy hitherto. Which as her Majesty is minded to observe and maintain for herself by God's grace, during her time; so doth her Highness much desire, and would be glad the same were of all her subjects quietly and charitably entertained1. 1 Fox, vi. 393. 3 Aug. 16.-Ibid. 2 Ibid. 4 66 Embraced," Fox. 1553. "And yet she doth signify unto all her Majesty's loving sub- AN. REG. 1, jects, that of her most gracious disposition and clemency, her Highness mindeth not to compel any her said subjects thereunto, until such time as further order by common assent may be taken therein: forbidding nevertheless all her subjects, of all degrees, at their perils, to move seditions, or stir unquietness in her people, by interpreting the laws of this realm after their brains and fantasies, but quietly to continue for the time, till (as before is said) further order may be taken; and therefore willeth, and straitly chargeth and commandeth, all her [said] good loving subjects to live together in quiet sort and Christian charity, leaving those new-found devilish terms of Papist and Heretic, and such like; and applying their whole care, study and travail, to live in the fear of God, exercising their conversations in such charitable and godly doing, as their lives may indeed express the great hunger and thirst of God's glory [and holy word], which by rash talk and words many have pretended and in so doing, they shall best please God, and live without danger of the laws, and maintain the tranquillity of the realm. Whereof as her Highness shall be most glad, so if any man shall rashly presume to make any assemblies of people, or at any public assemblies or otherwise shall go about to stir the people to disorder or disquiet, she mindeth according to her duty to see the same most severely reformed and punished, according to her Highness's laws. "And furthermore, forasmuch as it is well known that sedition and false rumours have been nourished and maintained in this realm by the subtlety and malice of some evil-disposed persons, which take upon them without sufficient authority to preach and to interpret the word of God after their own brains, in churches and other places, both public and private, and also by playing of interludes, and printing of false fond1 books, and ballads, rhymes, and other lewd treatises in the English tongue, containing doctrine in matters now in question, and controversies touching the high points and mysteries in Christian religion; which books, ballads, rhymes, and treatises, are chiefly by the printers and stationers set out to sale to her Grace's subjects of an evil zeal for lucre and covetousness of vile gain: her Highness therefore straitly chargeth and commandeth all 1 "False-found," Fox. 1553. AN. REG. 1, and every of her said subjects, of whatsoever state, condition, or degree they be, that none of them presume from henceforth 24 to preach, or by way of reading in churches, or other public or 194 private places, except in schools of the University, to interpret or teach any scriptures, or any manner of points of doctrine concerning religion. Neither also to print any book, matter, ballad, rhyme, interlude, process or treatise, nor to play any interlude, except they have her Grace's special licence in writing for the same, upon pain to incur her Highness's indignation and displeasure1." The Romish system restored. 11. It cannot be denied but that this proclamation was very cautiously and cunningly penned ;-giving encouragement enough to those which had a mind to outrun the law, or otherwise to conform themselves to the Queen's religion, to follow their own course therein without dread or danger; and yet commanding nothing contrary to the laws established, which might give trouble or offence to the other party. For hereupon many of the people shewed themselves so ready for receiving their old religion, that in many places of the realm, before any law was made for the same, they erected again their altars, and used the mass and Latin service in such sort as was wont to be in King Henry's time2. Which was so well taken by the Queen, that all such as stood upon the laws which were made to the contrary before had a mark of displeasure set upon them. Which being observed by some of the Clergy, they were as forward as the rest, in setting up the pageants of St Katherine and St Nicholas, formerly erected in the chancels, and to set forth their processions (which they celebrated in the Latin tongue) with their old solemnities, contrary to the laws 1 Fox, vi. 390. The proclamation is here given only in part. Strype records the first reappearance of the mass in a London church, Aug. 21. "Mass began at St Nicholas Cole-Abbey, sung in Latin, and tapers set on the altar, and a cross. The next day a goodly mass in Latin was sung also in Bread-street. And here I cannot but make this remark upon the incumbent of the said St Nicolas, whose name was Parson Chicken, that he sold his wife to a butcher, and Nov. 24 was carted about London."-Eccl. Mem. iii. 22. (Comp. Machyn, 48, 336.) The Latin service began at St Paul's on the 28th of August.-Holinsh. iv. 5. |