cause, nor so much as sit on the bench when it is tried, lest his presence should overawe others. Things also done upon a common error cannot bind, when the error upon which they were done comes to be discovered; and all human laws ought to be changed, when a public visible inconvenience follows them. From which he concluded, that the pope, being a party, and having already passed his sentence, in things which ought to be examined by a general council, could not be a judge, nor sit in it. Princes also, who, upon a common mistake, thinking the pope head of the church, had sworn to him, finding that this was done upon a false ground, may pull their neck out of his yoke, as every man may make his escape out of the hands of a robber. And the court of Rome was so corrupt, that a pope, though he meant well, as Hadrian did, yet could never bring any good design to an issue; the cardinals and the rest of that court being so engaged to maintain their corruptions.

Foxe, vol.ii. p. 504.

['A Speech delivered in Convocation, 1536.]

It beseemeth not men of learning and gravity to make much babbling and brawling about bare words, so that we agree in the very substance and effect of the matter. For to brawl about words is the property of sophisters and such as mean deceit and subtilty, which delight in the debate and dissension of the world, and in the miserable state of the church; and not of them which should seek the glory of Christ, and should study for the unity and quietness of the church. There be weighty controversies now moved and put forth, not of ceremonies and light things, but of the true understanding and of the right difference of the Law and the Gospel; of the manner and way how sins be forgiven; of comforting doubtful and wavering consciences, by what means they may be certified that they please God, seeing they feel the strength of the law accusing them of sin; of the true use of the sacraments, whether the outward work of them doth justify man, or whether we receive our justification by faith. Item, which be the good works, and the true service and honour which pleaseth God; and whether the choice of meats, the difference of garments, the vows of monks and priests, and other traditions which have no word of God to confirm them, whether these, I say, be right good works, and such as make a perfect Christian man, or no? Item, whether vain service and false honouring of God, and man's traditions, do bind men's consciences, or no?

It

f [The debate on this occasion is given at some length by Foxe. An abridged account of it may be seen in Burnet, Ref. vol. i. p. 429. was opened by the lord Crumwell as vicar-general. The principal speakers on the side of reform, besides Crumwell and Cranmer, were Fox bishop of Hereford, and Alexander Alesse, a Scotchman, residing at that time with the archbishop at Lambeth, who though not a member of the house, was introduced and commanded to speak by Crumwell. On the other side, the argument was chiefly maintained by Stokesley bishop of London. The articles of 1536 seem to have resulted from the discussion.]

Finally, whether the ceremony of confirmation, of orders, and of annealing, and such other, (which cannot be proved to be institute of Christ, nor have any word in them to certify us of remission of sins,) ought to be called sacraments, and to be compared with Baptism and the Supper of the Lord, or no?

These be no light matters, but even the principal points of our Christian religion. Wherefore we contend not about words and titles, but about high and earnest matters. Christ saith, Blessed be the peacemakers, for they shall be called Matt. v. the sons of God. And Paul, writing unto Timothy, commanded bishops to avoid brawling and contention about words, which be profitable to nothing but unto the subversion and destruction of the hearers: and monisheth him specially that he should resist with the Scriptures, when any man disputeth with him of the faith; and he addeth a cause, whereas he saith, Doing this thou shalt preserve both 1 Tim. iv. thyself and also them which hear thee. Now if ye will follow these counsellors, Christ and Paul, all contention and brawling about words must be set apart, and ye must stablish a godly and a perfect unity and concord out of the Scripture. Wherefore in this disputation we must first agree of the number of the sacraments, and what a sacrament doth signify in the holy Scripture, and when we call Baptism and the Supper of the Lord sacraments of the gospel, what we mean thereby. I know right well that St. Ambrose and other authors call the washing of the disciples' feet, and other things, sacraments; which I am sure you yourselves would not suffer to be numbered among the other sacraments.

Cotton lib.

Cleop. E. v. fol. 83.

[Some Queries and Answers concerning Confirmation.]

Whether confirmation be institute by Christ?

Responsio. There is no place in Scripture that declareth

Burn. Ref. this sacrament to be institute of Christ.

Addend.

vol. i. No. 3.
Strype,
Memor.
App. vol. i.
No. 88.

First, for the places alleged for the same be no institutions, but acts and deeds of the apostles.

Second, those acts were done by a special gift given to the apostles for the confirmation of God's word at that time.

Third, the said special gift doth not now remain with the successors of the apostles.

What is the external sign?

The church useth chrisma for the exterior sign, but the Scripture maketh no mention thereof.

What is the efficacy of this sacrament?

The bishop in the name of the church doth invocate the Holy Ghost to give strength and constancy, with other spiritual gifts, unto the person confirmed: so that the efficacy of this sacrament is of such value, as is the prayer of the bishop made in the name of the church.

h Hæc respondeo, salvo semper eruditiorum et ecclesiæ orthodoxa judicio.

[These queries are supposed by Strype to have been designed to collect the opinions of divines for the compilation of The Institution of a Christian Man, which was printed in 1537. They were certainly issued about that time, for one of the persons who answered them was Hilsey Bishop of Rochester, who was elected to that see Oct. 4. 1535, and who died in 1538. The whole of the answers extant may be seen in Strype, Mem. App. vol. i. No. 88.]

h [Burnet states that the whole of this paper is in Cranmer's handwriting. Strype more accurately asserts this of the last clause only, "Hac respondeo" &c.]

Injunctions given by Thomas archbishop of Canterbury to the parsons, vicars, and other curates, in his visitation kept (isede vacante) within the diocese of Hereford, anno Domini 1538.

I.

Cranm.

First; That ye and every one of you shall, with all your Regist. diligence and faithful obedience, observe, and cause to be fol. 96. b. observed, all and singular the King's Highness' Injunctions, Burn. Ref. by his Grace's commissaries given in such places as they in Append. times past have visited.

II.

Item; That ye and every one of you shall have, by the first day of August next coming, as well a whole Bible in Latin and English, or at the least a New Testament of both the same languages, as the copies of the King's Highness' Injunctions.

III.

Item; That ye shall every day study one chapter of the said Bible, or New Testament, conferring the Latin and English together, and to begin at the first part of the book, and so to continue until the end of the same.

IV.

Item; That ye nor none of you shall discourage any layman from the reading of the Bible in Latin or English, but encourage them to it, admonishing them that they so read it, for reformation of their own life and knowledge of

i [Fox, Bishop of Hereford, died May 8, 1538. Boner was elected to succeed him Nov. 27 of the same year. In the interval Cranmer deputed Hugh Coren, Prebendary of Hereford, to visit the diocese, and promulgate these Injunctions. Boner was translated to London before consecration, and the see of Hereford was not permanently filled till Skyp was elected, Oct. 24, 1539. On his death, in 1552, the custody of the spiritualities was again committed to Hugh Coren, then Dean, in conjunction with Richard Cheney Archdeacon. Strype, Cranm. p. 70 and 268. Nicolas, Synopsis of the Peerage.]

vol. i. b. iii. No. 12.