ing dangers at fuch a diftance, was deemed too great; and CHA P. the remedy was plainly illegal. It could only be faid, XXXIV. that this bill of attainder was fomewhat more tolerable than the preceding ones, to which the nation had been 1549. enured. For here, at least, fome fhadow of evidence was produced. ALL the confiderable bufinefs tranfa&ted this feffion, Ecclefiaf befides the attainder of lord Seymour, regarded ecclefi- tical afaltical matters; which were now the chief object of con- fairs. cern throughout the notion. A committee of bishops and divines had been appointed by the council to frame a liturgy; and they had executed the work committed to them. They proceeded with moderation in this delicate undertaking: They retained as much of the antient mafs as the principles of the reformers would permit: They indulged nothing to the fpirit of contradiction, which fo naturally takes place in all great innovations: And they flattered themselves, that they had framed a fervice, in which every denomination of Christians might, without fcruple, concur. The mafs had been celebrated in Latin; a practice which might have been deemed abfurd, had it not been found ufeful to the clergy, by impreffing the people with an idea of fome mysterious unknown virtue in thofe rites, and by checking all their pretenfions to be familiarly acquainted with their religion. But as the reformers pretended, in fome few particulars, to encourage private judgment in the laity, the tranflation of the liturgy, as well as of the Scriptures, into the vulgar tongue, feemed more conformable to the genius of their fect; and this innovation, with the retrenchment of prayers to faints, and of fome fuperftitious ceremonies, was the chief difference between the old mats and the new liturgy. The parliament established this form of worship in all the churches, and ordered an uniformity to be observed in all the rites and ceremonies H. THERE was another very material act, which passed. this feffion. The former canons had established the ce libacy of the clergy; and though this practice be ufually afcribed to the policy of the court of Rome, who thought, that the ecclefiaftics would be more devoted to their fpiritual head, and lefs dependant on the civil magiftrate, when freed from the powerful tye of wives and children; T 2 yet CHAP. yet was this inftitution much forwarded by the principles XXXIV. of fuperftition inherent in human nature. These prin ciples had rendered the panegyrics of an inviolate chafti1549. ty so frequent among the antient fathers, long before the eftablishment of celibacy. And even the English parliament, though they framed a law, permitting the marriages of priests, yet confefs, in the preamble, that it "were better for priests and minifters of the church to "live chatte and without marriage, and it were much to "be wished they would of themselves abftain." The inconveniencies, which had arifen from the compelling of chastity and the prohibiting of marriage, are the reafons affigned for indulging a liberty in this particular 1. 'The ideas of penance alfo were fo much retained in other particulars, that an act of parliament paffed, prohibiting the ufe of flesh-meat, during Lent and other times of abftinence K. 1 2 & 3 Edw. VI. c. 21. ΤΗΣ K 2&3 Edw. VI. cap. 19. Another act, paffed this feffion, takes notice in the preamble, that the city of York, formerly well inhabited, was now much decayed: Infomuch that many of the cures could not afford a competent maintenance to the incumbents. To remedy this inconvenience, the magiftrates were impowered to unite as many parishes as they thought proper. An ecclefiaftica! hiftorian, Collier, vol. ii. p. 230, thinks, that this decay of York is chiefly to be afcribed to the diffolution of monatteries, by which they fell into the hands of perfons who lived at a distance. A very grievous tax was impofed this feffion upon the whole flock and monied intereft of the kingdom, and even upon its industry. It was a fhilling in the pound yearly, during three years, on every perfon worth ten pounds or upwards: The double on aliens and denizens. Thefe laft, if above twelve years of age, and if worth lefs than twenty fhillings, were to pay eight pence yearly. Every wether was to pay two pence yearly; every ewe three pence. The woollen manufacturers were to pay eight pence a pound on the value of all the cloth they made. Thefe exorbitant taxes on money are a proof, that few people lived on the money lent out at intereft: For this tax amounts to the half of the yearly income of all moneyholders, during three years, eftimating their intereft at the rate allowed by law; and was too grievous to be borne, if many perfons had been affected by it. It is remarkable, that no tax at all was laid upon land this feflion. The profits of mer chandife 1549. THE principal tenets and practices of the catholic reli- CHA P. gion were now abolished, and the reformation, fuch as XXXIV. we enjoy at prefent, was almost entirely compleated in England. But the doctrine of the real prefence, though tacitly condemned by the new communion-fervice, and by the abolition of many antient rites, ftill retained fome hold of the minds of men; and it was the last doctrine of popery, which was wholly abandoned by the people. The great attachment of the late king to that tenet might be fome ground for this obstinacy; but the chief cause was really the extreme abfurdity of the principle itself, and the profound veneration, which of courfe it impreffed on the imagination. The priests likewife were much inclined to favour an opinion, which attributed to them fo miraculous a power; and the people, who believed, that they participated of the very body and blood of their Saviour, were loth to renounce fo extraordinary, and, as they imagined, fo falutary a privilege. The general attachment to this dogma was fo violent, that the Lutherans, notwithstanding their feparation from Rome, had thought proper, under another name, ftill to retain it: And the catholic preachers, in England, when reftrained in every other particular, could not forbear, on every occafion, from inculcating that tenet. Bonner, for this offence among others, had been tried by the council, had been deprived of his fee, and had been committed to custody. Gardiner alfo, who had recovered his liberty, appeared anew refractory to the authority, which established the łate innovations; and he feemed willing to countenance that opinion, much favoured by all the English catholics, that chandise were commonly fo high, that it was fuppofed it could bear this impofition. The moft abfurd part of the law feems to be the tax upon the woollen manufacture. See 2 & 3 Edw. VI. cap. 36. The fubfequent parliament repealed the tax on fheep and woollen cloth. 3 & 4 Edw. VI. cap. 23. But they continued the other tax a year longer. Ibid. The clergy taxed themselves at fix fhillings in the pound to be paid in three years. This taxation was ratified in parliament, which had been the common practice fince the reformation, as if the clergy had no legislative power, even over themfelves. See 2 & 3 Edw. VI. cap. 35. Burnet, vol. ii. cap. 104. CHAP. that the king was indeed fupreme head of the church, XXXIV. but not the council during a minority. Having declined to give full fatisfaction on this head, he was fent to the tower, and threatened with farther effects of the council's difpleasure. 1549. THESE feverities, being exercifed against men, poffeffed of office and authority, feemed, in that age, a neceffary policy, in order to enforce an uniformity in public worship and difcipline: But there were other instances. of perfecution, derived from no other origin than the bigotry of theologians; a malady, which feems almost incurable. Though the proteftant divines had ventured to renounce opinions, deemed certain during fo many centuries, they regarded, in their turn, the new fystem as fo certain, that they would bear no contradiction with regard to it; and they were ready to burn in the fame flames, from which they themselves had fo narrowly elcaped, every one that had the affurance to oppofe them. A commiffion by act of council was granted to the primate and fome others, to examine and fearch after all anabaptifts, heretics, or contemners of the book of common prayer M. They were enjoined to reclaim them, if poffible; to impofe penance on them; and to give them abfolution: Or if thefe criminals were obstinate, to excommunicate and imprifon them, and to deliver them over to the fecular arm: And in the execution of this charge, the commiffioners were not bound to obferve the ordinary methods of trial; the forms of law were difpenfed with; and if any statutes happened to interfere with the powers in the commiffion, they were overruled and abrogated by the council. Some tradefmen in London were brought before thefe commiffioners, and were accused of maintaining, among other opinions, that a man regenerate could not fin, and that, though the outward man might offend, the inward was incapable of all guilt. They were prevailed on to abjure, and were difmiffed. But there was a woman accused of heretical pravity, called Joan Bocher, or Joan of Kent, who was fo extremely obftinate, that the commiffioners could gain nothing upon her. Her doârine was, Her doctrine was, "That Chrift was not truly incarnate of the virgin, whofe flesh, be 66 M Burnet, vol. ii. p. 3. Rymer, tom. xv. p. 181. "ing the outward man, was finfully begotten and born CHA P. "in fin; and confequently, he could take none of it: XXXIV. "But the word, by the confent of the inward man of the virgin, was made flesh " This opinion, it would feem, is not orthodox; and there was a neceffity for maintaining it. But the young king, though in fuch tender years, had more fente than all his counsellors and preceptors; and he long refused to fign the warrant for her execution. Cranmer was employed to perfuade him to compliance; and he said, that there was a great difference between errors in other points of divinity, and those which were directly contradictory to the Apostles creed: Thefe latter were impieties against God, which the prince, being God's deputy, ought to reprefs; in like manner, as the king's deputies were bound to punith offences against the king's perfon. Edward, overcome by importunity more than reafon, at laft fubmitted, though with tears in his eyes; and he told Cranmer, that, if any wrong was done, the guilt should lie entirely on his head. The primate, after making a new effort to reclaim the woman from her errors, and finding her obftinate against all his arguments, at last committed her to the flames. Some time after, a Dutchman, called Van Paris, accufed of the herefy, which has received the name of Arianifm, was condemned to the fame punishment. He fuffered with fo much fatisfaction, that he hugged and careffed the faggots, which were confuming him; a fpecies of frenzy, of which there is more than one inftance among the martyrs of this reign °. THESE rigorous methods of proceeding foon brought the whole nation to a conformity, feeming or real, with the new doctrine and the new liturgy. The lady Mary alone continued to adhere to the mafs, and refused to admit the established modes of worship. When pressed and menaced on this head, fhe applied to the emperor; who, ufing his intereft with Sir Philip Hobby, the Englifh ambalador, procured her a temporary connivance from the council". N Burnet, vol. ii. coll. 35. Strype's Mem. Cranm. p. 181. 1549. CHAP. |